Doug Inglis and Jenny Gusse, both 62, sent a final message reading "Bear attack bad" via a Garmin inReach satellite communicator before a grizzly bear killed them and their border collie Tris in Banff National Park. The message was received together with an SOS signal, activated by somebody holding the device's emergency button for three seconds, according to NPR.
Final message and discovery
"So one of them had entered that text into the inReach" manually, according to Doug's uncle Colin Inglis. He said that when their bodies were discovered, "Jenny and Doug were close by each other not far from the tent in their stocking feet". This detail was conveyed to him by Parks Canada, with Colin noting this was particularly unusual given the wet conditions outside.
"Their boots and booties were in the tent, which suggests that something happened that one or both of them exited the tent," he added.
Experienced campers
What continues to baffle investigators is that the couple were seasoned outdoors enthusiasts, thoroughly equipped and well-prepared for any wildlife encounters. "This incident is the first grizzly bear caused fatality recorded in Banff National Park in decades," Parks Canada said in a statement. The couple followed every precaution they were instructed to take and still lost their lives.
A Wildlife Human Attack Response Team discovered a bear-proof food bag hanging in a tree and a discharged can of bear spray at the backpackers' campsite, suggesting the duo had mounted a strong defence.
Attack details
The 62-year-olds were very familiar with Banff's Red Deer Valley. "They hiked in this area several times a year on an extended trip," Inglis said. "They'd been in this area in the spring." They embarked on a week-long trail through Banff, sending routine updates to Colin, and to Gusse's mother. The agricultural research laboratory workers were thorough planners and naturally cautious.
"Doug and Jenny were highly experienced. They did everything right," Colin said. "This is an unusual circumstance - they ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time."
On the day of the attack the pair told Colin they had encountered a minor delay, but that it was nothing to be concerned about. They subsequently told him they reached camp and were preparing food just before 5pm.
Response and aftermath
Doug and Jenny Gusse established camp in a location with no active bear warnings or area closures in effect, according to Parks Canada. The agency said it received the same message from an inReach device that Colin did, alerting them to a bear attack at approximately 8pm. It took hours to reach the location of the violent attack as the rescue team had to overland, with helicopter use ruled out owing to poor weather conditions.
Parks Canada stated the area is extremely remote and there were no witnesses to the attack. "We will never know the full details of what led to the attack and will not speculate," it said. The response team arrived after 1am to discover the couple dead. They also encountered the bear, which "displayed aggressive behavior, and proceeded to charge towards the response team," Parks Canada said.
The bear was shot and killed. A necropsy found it was a "non-lactating older female" aged over 25 years. The bear's teeth were in poor condition and she "had less than normal body fat for this time of year," according to Parks Canada. The bear wasn't tagged or fitted with a collar. The park emphasised attacks are uncommon. It said: "Over the last 10 years, there have been three recorded non-fatal, contact encounters with grizzly bears in Banff National Park."
Doug's uncle said of the couple: "These were real special human beings. I've known Doug since the day he was born. He is more like a little brother than a nephew. They have been together almost entirely since they went to university. They've been a team, completely, in all aspects of their lives, whether it be work, at home, gardening, or canoeing or hiking. They were wonderful people. They were very gentle people. Being outdoors people ourselves, it's a nightmare that doesn't go away, you know? That's just the reality."
