Alaskan mother and son killed in first fatal polar bear attack in 30 years

Summer Myomick bundled her baby against the freezing winds whipping off the Bering Sea and stepped outside into a blur of blowing snow.

Myomick, 24, and her son, one-year-old Clyde Ongtowasruk, made it just beyond the front of the Kingikmiut school in Wales, Alaska, just below the Arctic Circle, when a polar bear emerged from the impenetrable snow squall and mauled them on Tuesday. It was the first fatal polar bear attack in 30 years in Alaska, the only US state that is home to the animals.

The mauling stopped temporarily, but only when the animal turned on them, and they rushed back inside. Principal Dawn Hendrickson slammed the door in the face of the charging bear, possibly saving lives, according to Susan Nedza, chief administrator of the Bering Strait school district.

There is no law enforcement authority in Wales, so with the bear still outside, a call went out to community members for help. A person who has not been identified showed up with a gun and killed the bear as it continued to maul Myomick and her son.

It appears the mother and toddler had no idea what was coming because of low visibility, Alaska state troopers spokesperson Austin McDaniel told the Associated Press on Thursday.

School was cancelled on Wednesday so students could be with their families, and the school district flew counselors to Wales.

Polar bears are the largest bear species and generally feed on seals, but also walruses and beluga whales.

They are protected by law from anyone harming the animals without authorization, unless necessary for human safety.