A grizzly bear attacked a group of elementary schoolchildren and their teachers in rural western Canada, officials have confirmed.
Two people have been left seriously injured in the attack, which took place around 2 pm local time in the community of Bella Coola, around 600 miles north of Vancouver.
Authorities have also said that the bear responsible for the attack is still at large.
British Columbia Emergency Health Service officials have also confirmed that seven more people were treated at the scene.
Parent Veronica Schooner told The Canadian Press that her son, Alvarez, was in the mixed Year 4-5 class that was attacked by the bear while on a walk. She said that her son was so close to the bear that he “felt its fur.”
“He was running for his life,” she said.
According to her, one male teacher “got the brunt of it” and was one of the people whisked to the hospital by a helicopter.
Schooner says that her son has been left ‘traumatized’ by the attack.
“Everybody was in shock at the school,” she added, speaking to The Canadian Press. “A lot of people were crying, and I don’t know, I just wanted my son, and I grabbed him, and then I took him home.”
The community has rallied together in the wake of the horrifying attack, with members of the Naxalk Nation warning residents to “remain indoors and off the highway.” They also confirmed that their officers are “armed” and ready to deal with the bear.
Emergency Health Services spokesman Brian Twaites said in a statement, seen by The Canadian Press, that the attack unfolded near Highway 20.
“Paramedics provided emergency medical treatment to four patients and transported them to the hospital. Two patients were in critical condition and two were in serious condition,” he added.
