A man was hospitalized with significant injuries following a grizzly bear attack near Creston, B.C., conservation officers say.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) said in a social media post that the attack happened around 4:30 p.m. Saturday when a husband and wife were riding e-bikes along the Kootenay River near West Creston in southeast B.C.
The service said the wife heard her husband scream and saw a grizzly bear running at her. She used bear spray and then realized a second bear was attacking her husband.
The wife used bear spray again and both bears ran off, according to the BCCOS.
“Emergency services were called, and the man was transported to hospital in Cranbrook by ambulance, where he underwent surgery,” the BCCOS said.
According to the service, conservation officers swept the area after the attack and didn’t locate the bears.
They closed three major trails in the area, installed signage and set up traps on Saturday night, but no bears were captured.
The BCCOS is still searching for the grizzlies as of Saturday afternoon, according to the social media post. It says trails in the area will be closed until further notice.
CBC News has reached out to B.C. Emergency Health Services and the BCCOS for more information.
