Doug Inglis and Jenny Gusse desperately tried to thwart the animal by using a whole can of bear spray, police said.
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A couple mauled to death by a grizzly bear last week sent out a final desperate text message, a family member told The Calgary Herald.
The text simply read: "Bear attack bad," The Herald reported.
It was sent by Doug Inglis and Jenny Gusse, both 62, before they were killed inside Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada
They were on a seven-day hiking trip in the vast national park when they were attacked, Doug's uncle, Colin, told The Herald.
They were experienced hikers who regularly kept their family updated through a satellite device, he said.
Colin said the couple said on the afternoon of September 29 that they had bunkered down near the Red Deer River in the Panther Valley after not reaching their preferred campsite on time.
But several hours later, he got a phone call from Garmin — the company that operates the satellite device — telling him an SOS had been activated.
"The alarm bells were going off, 'this is not good' — that means there'd been some engagement. You're completely helpless to know what's going on," Colin Inglis told the Herald.
The device then sent the three-word message.
The government agency Parks Canada also received the alert and immediately dispatched a response team with a helicopter, Colin said.
However, due to poor weather, they were unable to use the helicopter to get close so went on foot, which took more than three hours, he added.
When they arrived, they found that the couple and their dog — a border collie named Trist — had been mauled to death, Colin said.
"Their tent was crushed and their e-readers were open," he told the Herald, adding that it appeared as if one of them might have left their tent to fight the bear.
"One can of bear spray had been fully discharged but this bear was not to be deterred," Colin said. "It's possible one was on the outside trying to fend off the bear while the other was in the tent sending the message."
Officials found a grizzly bear believed to be responsible for the deadly attack and shot it dead, he added.
Parks Canada said in a statement over the weekend that the bear "displayed aggressive behavior, leading Parks Canada staff to euthanize the bear on-site to ensure public safety."
They also closed off the area where the attack occurred.
Parks Canada did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Banff National Park, located in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, is known for its grizzly and black bears. Hikers are advised to carry bear spray, make noise, and travel in large groups.
