Radar tech mauled to death by polar bears while taking photos of them at Arctic outpost

Radar tech mauled to death by polar bears while taking photos of them at Arctic outpost
https://nypost.com/2025/11/11/world-news/radar-tech-mauled-to-death-by-polar-bears-while-taking-photos-of-them-at-arctic-outpost/

Canadian radar technician was mauled to death by a pair of polar bears as he took photos of them while working at a remote Arctic outpost, it emerged this week.

Christopher Best, 34, left the safety of the Brevoort Island facility the day after he arrived to work there, so that he could take photos of a bear on the grounds, a report into his Aug. 8 death revealed.

He had walked past a sign warning employees to be on the lookout for bears — and reassured his worried parents he was OK when they asked him hours earlier about photos of the bears he was posting online, they told CTV News


“Chris said, ‘Well, yeah, they’re not close to us,’” his mother, Shelly Cox, told CTV.

Best snapped photos of an enormous animal that he thought was alone — just to be cornered by a second bear lurking nearby, the report said.


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"An attack by two polar bears has resulted in the loss of one of our valued employees," the company said Friday. "Nasittuq employees responded to the scene and one of the animals was put down."

The site is one of dozens of North Warning System outposts dotting Canada's far north, forming a surveillance tripwire against aircraft incursions or cruise missile attacks.

The radar coverage spans over 3,100 miles from Alaska to Labrador in eastern Canada.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, and colleagues affected by this loss," the company said, adding that it was providing support to the victim's family and counseling services to other employees.

2 polar bears kill worker at remote radar site in the Canadian Arctic - CBS News

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/polar-bears-kill-worker-brevoort-island-remote-radar-site-canada-arctic/