Jennifer Balcarras and her daughter Selah Reed were found dead after a suspected grizzly attack in British Columbia | Facebook
A mother and her teenage daughter have been found dead after a suspected grizzly bear attack on a trail near Bella Coola, B.C., marking the second serious grizzly incident in the remote Central Coast community in about a year.
Family members identified the victims as Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her 19-year-old daughter Selah Reed. According to reports, the pair left home for a walk on the Snooka West Trail, a familiar route about eight kilometres east of Bella Coola and only a short drive from their residence, on Saturday afternoon and never returned. After relatives reported them missing on Sunday, RCMP officials and local rescue crews kicked off a full-scale search for the missing pair.
By Monday afternoon, rescue teams located the remains of Balcarras in the Snooka West Trail area. The following day, conservation officers confirmed that the body of her 19-year-old daughter was also found nearby. Evidence at the scene indicated an animal was involved, and the B.C. Conservation Officer Service is treating the deaths as a suspected grizzly attack.
Inspector Jeff Tyre of the Conservation Officer Service said trapping efforts are underway, though no bears had been captured as of yesterday. The service went on to say that any animal confirmed as responsible for the attack will be destroyed under provincial human-wildlife conflict guidelines to protect public safety.
Family members described Balcarras, who worked as an art therapist in Bella Coola, as a book lover, musician, and painter who was deeply connected to the outdoors and central to her family. She was the mother of four children, with Reed, who shared her mother’s love of hiking, art, and ballet being the youngest.
“They were two peas in a pod,” one brother said. “When Jenny hiked, Selah was right there beside her.”
The tragedy comes nearly a year after a grizzly attacked a group of roughly 20 elementary students and teachers on a school field trip near Bella Coola in November 2025. Several people were critically injured in that incident where teachers used pepper spray and bear bangers to repel the animal. The bear responsible was never identified, and the intensive search was later called off as grizzlies entered denning season.
The Nuxalk Nation issued a statement expressing condolences and acknowledging the impact on the victims’ family, survivors of last year’s attack, and the broader community. Officials continue to investigate the latest incident, advising residents and visitors in the Bella Coola area to remain vigilant and follow standard bear-aware practices while conservation officers continue their investigation.
"While the full circumstances are still unfolding, we understand first-hand the trauma this incident will inflict upon the victims' family members, the victims of last year's attack, and the community at large," elected Nuxalk Nation Chief Samuel Schooner said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with the victim's family as they learn of this tragic event.
