Kayaker mauled by grizzly bear southwest of Creston, B.C.

A kayaker was mauled by a grizzly bear southwest of Creston, B.C.

The man was camping by the banks of the Kootenay River when he was attacked by a bear at around 6 a.m. Saturday.

He was able to escape and called 911 for help.

He suffered non-life-threatening injuries to his head, arms and legs and is recovering in a nearby hospital.

Conservation officers are heading to the area to investigate.

Insp. Joe Caravetta with the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS) said that even though grizzly bears are common in the area, an attack is rare.

“These aren’t really common situations,” he said.

“We do live in grizzly bear country and there are grizzly bears in the area and we need to find out what caused this…There should be some explanation as to what happened here.”