British Columbia

Man uses knife to fend off bear attack in remote B.C. backcountry

A B.C. man on a solo adventure in the backcountry north of Powell River was seriously injured this week when he was attacked by what appeared to be a grizzly bear, according to conservation officers.

Quadra Island resident seriously injured in encounter with what appeared to be a grizzly

A close-up of a grizzly bear.
The animal that attacked a man hiking and biking along Ramsay Arm appeared to be a grizzly bear. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

A B.C. man on a solo adventure in the backcountry north of Powell River was seriously injured this week when he was attacked by what appeared to be a grizzly bear, according to conservation officers.

The Quadra Island resident was carrying a knife at the time of Monday's attack and managed to stab the animal, scaring it off, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said in an email.

The man was biking and hiking by himself along a logging road near Ramsay Arm, about 65 kilometres northwest of Powell River, when the attack happened.

After fending off the bear, the injured man rode his bike to a nearby camp, where workers gave him first aid.

From there, he was transported to hospital for treatment of serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Conservation officers are investigating the incident.