A man shot and killed a charging grizzly bear in Canada on Monday, only to soon discover that the bear had likely killed his wife and 10-month-old child.
A Tuesday release from the Yukon Coroner’s Service says that Gjermund Roesholt was coming home after trapping near Einarson Lake — a remote Yukon location about 300 miles east of the Alaska border — when he was charged by a grizzly bear on Monday around 3 p.m.
Coroner Heather Jones says in the release that Roesholt was forced to shoot the bear dead about 300 feet from the cabin he shared with Valérie Théorét, who was 37, and daughter Adele Roesholt, who was 10 months old. When Gjermund Roesholt got back to the cabin, he found their bodies.
The two were killed in a suspected bear attack between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., according to a statement by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The victims were likely going on a walk outside the cabin when the incident occurred, according to the coroner’s release.
The family had been trapping in the area for the past three months, the release says.
Coralee Reid, director of strategic communications for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Yukon, told USA TODAY that authorities believe the bear Roesholt shot is the same one that killed his family. Reid cited information from the coroner and said police have handed over the investigation to that office.
The coroner's office had no update on the investigation Thursday.
Théorét worked as a French immersion teacher and was active in Roesholt's adventure company, which advertises hunting and fishing guide services in the Yukon, according to the Yukon News.
Théorét was on maternity leave; she and partner Roesholt attempted to spend as much time as possible in the wilderness, reports CBC News, citing friend Rémy Beaupré.
Fellow trapper Brian Melanson told the publication that while he had only met the couple a few times, it was clear that they were "competent bush people."
Fatal bear attacks are rare in the Yukon, according to the Yukon News.
