Police confirm death of man after bear incident near Tulita

Police say a man has been found dead after a reported “encounter with a bear” while travelling south of Tulita.

The news, issued by RCMP on Friday afternoon, followed more than a day of searching after an emergency beacon had been triggered on Thursday morning.

RCMP said unspecified evidence discovered during the investigation “confirms a bear encounter.”

“Earlier this afternoon, August 16, RCMP located the missing man,” Friday’s statement read. “He was found deceased.”

The man’s identity has not been made public. He is reported to have been travelling with a woman when the apparent bear attack took place.

“The woman was able to make contact with another party, travelling in the same area, and requested assistance,” police said earlier on Friday. “The party activated their emergency communications device. The woman and the travelling party have been extracted from the area.”

Police said poor weather conditions on Thursday made access to the area of the incident – accessible only by air or water – difficult. Officers eventually arrived at the scene via helicopter.

The NWT coroner’s office is now investigating and a post-mortem has been ordered.

Wildlife officers “continue to assist with the investigation regarding the bear,” police said.