Photo: The Canadian Press

A black bear is seen near Lake Louise, Alberta, June, 2020. A black bear is dead and two women are critically hurt after an attack near Dawson Creek, B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

A black bear is dead and two women are critically hurt after an attack near Dawson Creek, B.C.

Mounties say they were called around 6:50 Monday night to a report that a black bear had attacked two women on the Bear Mountain cross-country ski club trails.

When police and ambulance crews arrived, they broke into teams to search the trails as darkness set it.

Police say that just over an hour later, two officers found the victims critically hurt and lying in a bush with a large boar black bear lingering nearby.

Mounties say they made several attempts to scare the bear away, but it refused to leave the area and appeared to be "guarding" the victims.

Police say they shot and killed the bear, and the victims, aged 30 and 48, were medevaced to hospital with life-threatening injuries.