Gruesome final moments of woman mauled to death by bear in hour-long attack

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT An aspiring psychologist working outdoors for an energy company was killed after being caught off guard by a black bear which struck her from behind and launched an hour long, unprovoked attack on her

A “warm” and “conscientious” 36-year-old woman was killed by a “very determined” black bear in an hour-long, unprovoked attack while she was at work.

Lorna Weafer, who was born in Ireland but immigrated to Canada with her family while she was a child, had been working as an instrument technician for energy company Suncor when the attack happened at an oil sands site, north of Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada.

It was May 7, 2014, and Lorna – an aspiring psychologist – was working in the field with six colleagues when the tragedy occurred.

The team had been briefed on bear safety – Alberta boasts a thriving population of black bears – but it’s understood none of them were carrying bear spray.

Lorna, who had only started working for Suncor the previous October, went to use one of the portable washrooms and it was at this moment that a “very determined” black bear saw an opportunity.

The bear was able to catch Lorna and her team completely off guard – nobody had seen it coming. There was no food on site and nothing to attract the bear to the workers, other than it perhaps seeing them as easy prey.

When Lorna left the washroom, the bear charged towards her from the trees, which had acted as camouflage, striking Lorna from behind and knocking her to the ground. She let out a scream, which alerted her colleagues.

When they turned to look for Lorna, they saw her trapped face down beneath a 300lb black bear.

Alberta Fish and Wildlife investigator Mike Ewald said her co-workers tried to scare the bear off using fire extinguishers, a water cannon and air horn.

Though they had no weapons, according to Ewald; these were “all general things that should scare it off.”

Staff told the investigator the bear would back away for short periods but wasn’t ever fully deterred. It kept coming back and eventually killed Lorna.

Ewald said: “This bear was very determined.” He added the attack lasted for around an hour.

When Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrived on the scene, they shot and killed an adult black bear spotted nearby.

In a statement, Lorna’s family said: “We know the manner in which she died has led to a focus on her death. But we would like to share some insight into Lorna’s life and her spirit.

“Lorna’s warmth and compassion knew no bounds. She had a busy life, loved her family and her dog.

“She absolutely adored children and had volunteered as a Big Sister. She was a warm, conscientious person, and she made fast friends.”

The family also expressed their gratitude to Lorna’s co-workers for their attempts to save her.

They went on to describe Lorna as a passionate photographer, and a very artistic and organised person.

The family offered insight into her hopes for the future. They added: “She had been talking about going back to study and become a psychologist because she loved helping people. She’d have helped anyone. And she often did.”

The Weafer family moved to Fort McMurray in 1981 but some of Lorna’s family still live in Ireland.

After the attack on Lorna, an investigation ensued. A 200-square-metre area around the attack site was closed off, while multiple live bear traps were also set up in the area.

Following DNA analysis and speaking to witnesses, Ewald confirmed the bear shot and killed by RCMP was the same one that killed Weafer.

A second bear was trapped, but Ewald said it was later released.

In the early stages of the investigation, Ewald said it appeared to be a predatory bear attack, as there had been nothing in the area which would have provoked the animal “in any way.”

He added: “Predatory attacks are quite rare in Alberta.”

Prior to Lorna’s death, the last fatal black bear mauling in Alberta had been in 1991, when a 12-year-old boy was killed at a campground in Slave Lake.

More recently, a 26-year-old tree-planting worker was mauled and killed in a remote forested area northwest of Swan Hills, Alberta in August 2021.