A mother and her young daughter have been found dead in a suspected grizzly bear attack after setting out for what relatives described as a casual walk just minutes from their home in British Columbia, Canada.
Jennifer “Jenny” Balcarras, 48, and her daughter, Selah Reed, 20, disappeared Saturday, October 31, while visiting the Snooka West Trail near Bella Coola. Their family grew increasingly worried when Jenny failed to join a scheduled online gathering that evening, setting off a desperate search that ended in tragedy.
Jenny’s brother, Matt Balcarras, reported the pair missing on November 1. Police and search crews located their vehicle at the trailhead before discovering Jenny’s body Monday afternoon. Her daughter’s remains were found the following day.
Investigators discovered evidence suggesting the two women may have been killed by a grizzly bear, although the exact circumstances remain under investigation.
The deaths have stunned their family, particularly because the trail was familiar to both women and located just a five-minute drive from their home.
“It’s very close to town and it’s not remote,” Matt told the Vancouver Sun.
He emphasized that his sister and niece were experienced outdoorswomen who understood the risks of living in bear country.
“They were not naive city folks. They were strong women living the life,” he said.
Jenny, a mother of four and grandmother, had moved to Bella Coola over the summer to begin a new chapter in her life. She worked as an art therapist and had been building a future in the picturesque mountain community.
Selah, her youngest child, worked as a teaching assistant while pursuing online university studies. Relatives described her as a gentle, artistic young woman who shared her mother’s love of hiking.
Her uncle Josh Balcarras called the two “two peas in a pod,” recalling how Selah was frequently at her mother’s side during outdoor adventures.
The family is now struggling to comprehend how such an ordinary outing could end so suddenly.
“It’s surreal. It doesn’t seem real. It feels like a dream,” Josh told CBC.
The tragedy is especially alarming because it comes less than a year after another terrifying grizzly bear encounter rocked the same community.
On November 20, 2025, a grizzly emerged from the forest and attacked a group of approximately 20 elementary school students and teachers who had stopped for lunch during a field trip.
Three children and a teacher suffered serious injuries, while seven others received treatment at the scene. Teachers desperately fought to protect the students, using bear spray and a noise-making device to drive the animal away.
Despite an extensive search, conservation officers never positively identified the bear responsible for that attack. Authorities have not established any connection between the two incidents.
Following the latest deaths, the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service launched another urgent investigation, deploying officers and setting traps in an effort to locate any bears involved.
Inspector Jeff Tyre said evidence at the scene suggested a bear may have been responsible, but investigators have not determined whether one or multiple animals were involved.
Officials warned that any bear positively identified as responsible would be euthanized under provincial wildlife safety guidelines.
Residents and visitors have been urged to stay away from the Snooka West Trail while investigators continue examining the scene and searching for the animal.
For Jenny’s surviving three children and the rest of her family, the devastating loss has left an enormous void. Loved ones have established a fundraiser to help cover funeral costs and other unexpected expenses.
What began as a simple walk between a mother and daughter has now become another heartbreaking chapter for a small Canadian community still recovering from last year’s frightening wildlife attack.
