Canadian couple killed in bear attack tried to warn family member | outside

Doug Inglis and Jenny Goosen, both 62, were killed along with their dog Tris during a bear attack in Banff National Park in Canada. Local reports said the bear spray failed to deter the animal.

A family member told the Calgary Herald that the two experienced hikers shared the entire itinerary of their seven-day trek with Inglis’ uncle Colin and kept in touch with him via satellite communications device.

On Friday afternoon, Jenny informed him that they were late arriving at their campsite. So they were spending the night near the Red Deer River in Panther Valley. A few hours later, Colin receives an annoying message. He knew immediately that it was dangerous.

“I got a message saying: ‘Bear attack is bad,'” Colin told local authorities. Park rangers were immediately notified via Garmin, the GPS device the couple used. “Alarm bells have gone off. You’re completely helpless and don’t know exactly what’s going on.

A helicopter was deployed to find and rescue the couple, but had to turn back due to bad weather. The Human Wildlife Attack Response Team, a specially trained team, was dispatched to locate the couple around 10:30 p.m. local time. The team reached the camp site around 2 am. There they found the lifeless bodies of the couple and their dog. “They were found next to each other. As always, they were together.”

The team searched the area further and were attacked by a bear. They shot the animal immediately. “Bears are very unpredictable, and this one was completely out of control,” Colin told The Canadian Press. It is believed that Doug and Jenny were in their tent reading when the animal struck. Their tent and e-readers were completely destroyed. In addition, there were clear signs that they were trying to fight for their lives.