A Canadian couple mauled to death by a grizzly bear while camping in a national park sent a distressing message to their relatives in their last known text message before their deaths.
Doug Inglis and Jenny Gusse, both 62, were killed along with their dog in a bear attack Friday inside Banff National Park after their bear spray failed to thwart the hungry beast, according to local reports.
The experienced hiking couple had shared a full itinerary of their seven-day trip with Inglis’ uncle, Colin Inglis, and stayed in contact with him via a satellite communication device, the family member told the Calgary Herald.
On Friday afternoon, they let him know they were late getting to their planned campsite and instead stayed overnight near the Red Deer River in Panther Valley.
But just a few hours later, Colin said, he received a worrying emergency message and knew immediately it was something serious.
“I got a call from your Garmin [inReach device] That being said, ‘The bear attack is bad,’” he told the local outlet, adding that Parks Canada officials were automatically notified by the couple’s message.
Jenny Gusse and Doug Inglis were killed by a grizzly bear while canoeing in northern Saskatchewan. Ron Teather
“Alarm bells went off: ‘This is not good,’ that means there had been some compromise. You are completely powerless to know what is happening.”
A helicopter was deployed to find and rescue the couple, but had to turn back due to cloudy conditions. A response team was sent on the ground to reach Inglis and Gusse by all-terrain vehicles around 10:30 p.m.
The hike took three hours and it was almost 2 a.m. when they arrived at the couple’s camp, according to the Herald.
There they found the mutilated bodies of Inglis and Gusse along with their 7-year-old border collie, Colin said.
The couple sent a distressing text message when the bear spray they used to scare away the grizzly failed. Ron Teather
The pair, a research scientist and laboratory technician at the Agricultural and Agri-Food Research Center, appeared to have tried to fight off the bear with bear spray, but the animal was relentless.
“A can of bear spray had been completely discharged, but this bear was not deterred,” Colin said.
Park officials believe the couple was inside their tent reading when they were attacked.
“Their store was crushed and their e-readers were open, they were both discovered in their socks,” the victim’s uncle said, recounting what authorities told him.
The brown bear was still showing signs of aggression when the rescue team arrived and they were forced to shoot it to save themselves. Peter Adams/Danita Delimont – stock.adobe.com
When the rescue team finally reached them, they encountered what was believed to be the same murderous beast responsible for the deaths of Inglis and Gusse.
The grizzly was still showing signs of aggression and the crew said they were forced to shoot it to save themselves.
“In their words, the bear intended to kill them,” Colin told the Herald.
The bear was a 25-year-old female in “good body condition,” but was underweight for this time of year, when the animals were preparing for hibernation.
Alert location received by Parks Canada Dispatch in Banff National Park indicates a bear attack.Banff National Park
Investigators will perform an autopsy on the grizzly bear to confirm it was the same animal that killed Inglis and Gusse, who met in college and had been together ever since.
The attack was the first time in decades that a grizzly bear has killed humans inside Banff National Park.
However, in 2021, two people were killed in separate attacks in the nearby Waiparous and Water Valley areas.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn