A woman and her baby son have tragically been killed in a polar bear attack in a remote Alaskan village.
The attack took place in Wales, a village in Alaska that is home to approximately 150 people and is located on the Seward Peninsula which is the most western point of the US mainland, per People.
The Anchorage Daily News reported that the first calls of a polar bear attack came in around 2:30 PM on Tuesday (January 17) when alarmed residents saw the animal chasing several people.
The two victims of the attack have been named as 24-year-old Summer Myomick and her one-year-old Clyde Ongtowasruk.
The report reveals that Myomick was walking with her son by Wales’ Kingikmiut School when the attack took place, and the bear threatened to breach the front entrance of the school.
The district’s chief school administrator, Susan R. Nedza revealed how principal Dawn Hendrickson had ordered everyone back inside the building as the bear attempted to follow them, but she slammed the door shut keeping the animal at bay.
As the bear attacked Myomick and her son, residents reportedly attempted to distract it with shovels before it was shot dead.
A GoFundMe page has been set up in order to help the family of the mother and son involved in the attack, and it outlines how rare polar bear attacks are.
"On Tuesday, January 17th, 24-year-old Summer Myomick and her baby boy, Clyde Ongtowasruk III, tragically passed away after injuries sustained in what was the first fatal polar bear attack in Alaska in over 30 years," the page reads.
"Their immediate family is currently and had been displaced after recent electrical issues in their home that have yet to be resolved."
It continues that the money raised will go towards covering financial burdens that will arise due to the tragedy, and that it will cover travel costs for the family to get to the remote village "which is mostly by small passenger airplane only in villages."
At the time of writing, the fundraiser has received $5,100 out of its $15,000 goal, with donors offering their condolences in the comments.
A study in 2017 found that polar bear attacks are most likely to take place between July and December when ice covers the least amount of land.
Our thoughts go out to all those affected by this tragedy.
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