Bear attack victims ‘recovering’

5 August 2011 Last updated at 23:41 ET

Rescuers took the polar bear away from the after it was shot dead by a team member

Four victims of an Arctic polar bear attack that left a 17-year-old British boy dead are recovering, according to the UK’s ambassador to Norway.

Jane Owen, who vid the survivors in hospital, said they were talking and responding well to treatment.

Horatio Chapple, 17, from Wiltshire, was killed during a British Schools Exploring Society trip near a glacier on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen.

The four who were hurt – two severely – included two leaders of the trip.

Those injured were flown to Tromsoe, on the Norwegian mainland, where their condition is stable.

BSES chairman Edward Watson described Mr Chapple as a “fine ng man”.

Mr Watson said the society had been in touch with his family – who live near Salisbury – and had offered “our utmost sympathy”.

‘Shocking and horrific’

He said: “Horatio was a fine ng man, hoping to go on to read medicine after school. By all accounts he would’ve made an excellent doctor.”

Mr Chapple was studying at Eton College in Berkshire.

Horatio Chapple was expected to read medicine after completing his studies at Eton

Geoff Riley, head of teaching and learning technologies at the school paid tribute on Twitter, saying his thoughts and prayers were with his family.

The attack, near the Von Post glacier about 25 miles (40km) from Longyearbyen, took place early on Friday.

The group contacted the authorities using a satellite phone and a helicopter was sent to rescue them.

The bear was shot dead by a member of the group.

The BSES, a th development charity, said the injured men were trip leaders Michael Reid, 29, and Andrew Ruck, 27, who is from Brighton but lives in Edinburgh, and trip members Patrick Flinders, 17, from Jersey, and Scott Smith, 16.

The injured were flown to hospital in Longyearbyen and then on to University Hospital in Tromsoe.

A spokeswoman for the hospital said the patients were now in a stable condition.

Ms Owen, who is leading a consular team to Tromsoe to provide assistance to the expedition group and had vid those affected in hospital, said the patients “are talking, they are responding and they are receiving excellent care”.

The ambassador said the attack was “really shocking and horrific”.

‘Dreadful event’

She said: “I cannot begin to imagine what a dreadful ordeal it is for everyone involved and of course especially the families.

“And our thoughts and prayers go out, particularly to the parents of and the family of Horatio but also everyone who’s been affected by this.”

And, when asked about the lessons that could be learned, the ambassador said: “I think this is something that, obviously, the Norwegian authorities will want to look at and I’m sure various groups will want to look at.

“We all need to have a review of our policies and activities as a result of this dreadful event.”

Lars Erik Alfheim, vice-governor of Svalbard, said polar bears were common in the area, adding that they are “extremely dangerous” and can “attack without any notice”.

Mr Alfheim said there was no policy to ban travelling to the islands, but he added it was a wild environment and there were “a number of precautions that one needs to take when travelling here”.

The father of Patrick Flinders, Terry, said he believed the polar bear had crossed a trip wire and into his son’s tent.

“According to the doctor and the other people Patrick was trying to fend off the polar bear by hitting it on the nose – why, I don’t know, but he did and… the polar bear attacked him with his right paw across his face and his head and his arm,” he said.

The Svalbard expedition began on 23 July and was scheduled to run for five weeks

Those worried about their relatives should call 0047 7902 4305 or 0047 7902 4302.

The BSES group of 80 people were on a trip which began on 23 July and was scheduled to run until 28 August.

Earlier this year the governor’s office warned people about bear attacks after several were spotted near Longyearbyen.

BSES Expeditions, based in Kensington, west London, organises scientific expeditions to remote areas to develop teamwork and a spirit of adventure.

It was founded in 1932 by a member of Captain Scott’s final Antarctic expedition of 1910-13.

Polar bears are one of the largest land carnivores, reaching up to 8ft (2.5m) and weighing 800kg (125st).

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