Suncor Employee Killed by Bear

Did this hit the news? Happened yesterday.

Cbc.ca

[Helim]

On news right now

[Kurt505]

Originally Posted by Luxor

It's not really hard to believe if you know that camps are set up in wilderness areas with no fencing. Some sites are huge.
Wild animals frequent sites and enter lunch trailers quite often.
Any job in the wilderness has risks of wildlife encounters.

Horrible encounter and a terrible way to die.
Extremely sad to say the least.

I meant it's hard to believe because I grew up there and have had many bear run ins, as have so many others. I guess it's just something taken for granted that they are a real threat when they are such a common animal to encounter, usually with no consequences.

I remember another thread not long ago when 1899b was given a hard time for packing a gun while fishing the back country.


Not such a stupid idea now huh....

[1899b]

Originally Posted by Kurt505

I meant it's hard to believe because I grew up there and have had many bear run ins, as have so many others. I guess it's just something taken for granted that they are a real threat when they are such a common animal to encounter, usually with no consequences.

I remember another thread not long ago when 1899b was given a hard time for packing a gun while fishing the back country.


Not such a stupid idea now huh....

Terrible Tragedy.

[astepanuk]

Very Tragic we just have a debriefing about the incident.

[Torkdiesel]

Hungry bears and no feed yet. Too bad about the young lady that was killed

[LocalHunter]

Too bad

[Kurt505]

Originally Posted by 1899b

Terrible Tragedy.

Brewer just texted me, it is her.....

[retten]

My Condolences

[Sooner]

Condolences to the family and friends.

[JohninAB]

My thots and prayers are with all the loved ones left to mourn her loss.

May she RIP!


Lost a former co-worker in much the same way. Stepped out of a trailer on a site and black bear was there and that was it. Chris you were taken way too young.

[1899b]

Originally Posted by Kurt505

Brewer just texted me, it is her.....

Yup. Confirmed..... She was working for Design Group as an Instrument Tech. RIP LW......

[greylynx]

My prayers for the young lady. I hope she did not leave any children behind.
Her family is suffering enough.

Does anyone know where the necropsy on the bear is being performed?

Probability states it was a young boar.

[wags]

My condolences to friends, family and co-workers. A terrible tragedy.

RIP

[rugatika]

My condolences to her family.

Almost every oil company I've worked for has a no firearms policy. ..."Make sure you have your bear banger!"

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

This bear was also hit with bear spray a fire extinguisher and a shovel ,
Nothing short of a bullet was going to stop it.
Cat

And let me guess, there is a no firearms policy on site!

Suncor should be feeling the rath, for selecting socially motivated feel good rule making, right about now!

I've been through industry bear awareness training, and when I pointed out some fatal flaws in the program to the presenter, he dismissed, my 20+ years of close encounters with bears through hunting, as hearesy.

[troutbug]

Originally Posted by rugatika

My condolences to her family.

Almost every oil company I've worked for has a no firearms policy. ..."Make sure you have your bear banger!"

I know a few field operator who can take guns with them becasue they work alone, outside alot

[Luxor]

Originally Posted by Dick284

And let me guess, there is a no firearms policy on site!

Suncor should be feeling the rath, for selecting socially motivated feel good rule making, right about now!

I've been through industry bear awareness training, and when I pointed out some fatal flaws in the program to the presenter, he dismissed, my 20+ years of close encounters with bears through hunting, as hearesy.

The oil industry is famous for sweeping bad encounters and press under the rug and they have the high level legal means and money to do so.

But I can only hope that this fatal encounter will produce some serious actions to protect the worker's in all wilderness work fields

Again a very tragic event.

[rugatika]

Originally Posted by troutbug

I know a few field operator who can take guns with them becasue they work alone, outside alot

I know lots of field operators, surveyors, etc that do take guns with them because they work alone...against company policy.

What's easier for a company to deal with in terms of publicity? A dead bear killed by an evil oil company or an oil field worker killed by a bear. I'm guessing Suncor will get in way less crapola over this than Syncrude did over the ducks. Not the way it should be...but the way it is.

[1899b]

Originally Posted by Luxor

The oil industry is famous for sweeping bad encounters and press under the rug and they have the high level legal means and money to do so.

But I can only hope that this fatal encounter will produce some serious actions to protect the worker's in all wilderness work fields

Again a very tragic event.

Yup big time. Back in January, JC shouldn't have been by himself in the area he was where he drowned in tailings at Suncor. Work alone policy was not followed. Suncor has three deaths now to muddle their way through....

Suncor site isn't much of a wilderness area. Its a site that has 14000 employees. Don't mistake this for some remote rig or work camp situation. This, I guarantee is a bear that others saw over and over and probably tossed their sandwiches at. No different than tourists in Jasper. When i worked their it was a novelty to see a bear and we thought nothing of it. No attempts were made to remove them through Fish and Wildlife. But sooner or later.....

[elkdump]

Originally Posted by Luxor

The oil industry is famous for sweeping bad encounters and press under the rug and they have the high level legal means and money to do so.

But I can only hope that this fatal encounter will produce some serious actions to protect the worker's in all wilderness work fields

Again a very tragic event.

September 2002 a male worker on a Rig Site was killed by a bear in NorthEast BC, that company to THIS day FORBIDS ANY firearm possession by employees and back up the policy with TERMINATION of employment if worker is found possessing a firearm while on job-site,in company vehicles or company property,,,

they(the employer) provide/require Bear Aware Safety Coarse and that gets them off the hook, due diligence , more BS, a whitewash and hire another idiot !

[1899b]

Originally Posted by rugatika

I know lots of field operators, surveyors, etc that do take guns with them because they work alone...against company policy.

What's easier for a company to deal with in terms of publicity? A dead bear killed by an evil oil company or an oil field worker killed by a bear. I'm guessing Suncor will get in way less crapola over this than Syncrude did over the ducks. Not the way it should be...but the way it is.

This isnt an oilfield situation. Its like walking in town and you see a bear.
Both Suncor and Syncrude are like small cities.....

A surveyor or field operator out in Drayton Valley or West of Edson by himself isn't even a comparable situation to what happened to this lady. Apples and oranges. Lets keep things in perspective here folks.....

[brownbomber]

Originally Posted by 1899b

This isnt an oilfield situation. Its like walking in town and you see a bear.
Both Suncor and Syncrude are like small cities.....

A surveyor or field operator out in Drayton Valley or West of Edson by himself isn't even a comparable situation to what happened to this lady. Apples and oranges. Lets keep things in perspective here folks.....

Could not be more true

[troutbug]

Originally Posted by 1899b

This isnt an oilfield situation. Its like walking in town and you see a bear.
Both Suncor and Syncrude are like small cities.....

A surveyor or field operator out in Drayton Valley or West of Edson by himself isn't even a comparable situation to what happened to this lady. Apples and oranges. Lets keep things in perspective here folks.....

yes I know, iv worked on all those sites. Im just saying there are positions that allow you to carry firearms

[grinr]

Tragic for certain,and do we really need posters to elaborate on the details?Out of respect for the family,the media hasn't released details,I think it goes without saying it must have been horrific....nuff said.
And out of curiosity,why was this topic moved from General to Hunting discussion,it has absolutely ZERO to do with hunting.

[1899b]

Originally Posted by grinr

Tragic for certain,and do we really need posters to elaborate on the details?Out of respect for the family,the media hasn't released details,I think it goes without saying it must have been horrific....nuff said.
And out of curiosity,why was this topic moved from General to Hunting discussion,it has absolutely ZERO to do with hunting.

Agreed.....

[Ice Fishing Maniac]

On a job site today, and during the Hazard Assessment, wildlife was brought up and especially bears - making a direct reference to this tragic event.


Very sad.

[bosshog]

Very sad to hear.

[Team Anzac]

Ive known this family since 1978, the oldest son is a good friend of mine. Hits way to close to home. Thoughts and prayers go out to the Weafer family.