Family pays tribute to bear attack boy killed in Norway

The grieving family of the Englist schoolboy who was killed by a polar bear while on an adventure holiday in north Norway paid tribute to him today as “strong, fearless and kind”.

Horatio Chapple, 17, died after the bear attacked a party travelling on a British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) expedition yesterday.

His relatives said in a statement today he had been “so excited about his plans to be a doctor” and praised his “amazing sense of humour and ability to laugh at himself”.

Four other members of Horatio's group were injured in the incident and are recovering in hospital in Norway following surgery.

The teenager’s family, who have requested privacy, said: “He was on the cusp of adulthood and had a clear vision of where his life was going.”

Meanwhile the father of injured man Michael “Spike” Reid, an expedition leader who shot the bear, spoke of his pride at his son’s bravery.

Mr Reid, 29, had been sleeping in a nearby tent when the bear attacked and went to assist, when he too was set upon.

In an email sent from his bed at the University Hospital in Tromso, where the survivors were taken, he told his family how he fired at the bear.

His father, Peter Reid, 65, from Plymouth, said: “He told us the bear attacked the tent with three people in it, and he and another leader went to help and were viciously attacked by the bear. He managed to get away, ran to get a gun and shot the bear.”

He said he did not want to use the word “hero” to describe his son but added: “The other members of the group wanted to know how Spike was, and they said he was very, very brave.”

Michael Reid sustained injuries to his face and neck in the incident and remained in hospital today, along with fellow leader Andrew Ruck, 27, Patrick Flinders, 16, and Scott Bennell-Smith, 17, who also underwent treatment overnight.

Mr Ruck’s and Mr Reid’s injuries were described as severe, while Scott and Patrick sustained less serious injuries. All were stable after operations.

The five men and boys attacked were part of a group travelling on a British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) expedition, which was camped on the Von Postbreen glacier near Longyearbyen on Svalbard, north of the Norwegian mainland.

Peter Reid described his shock when the BSES called him yesterday to inform him of the incident in which Horatio, from near Salisbury in Wiltshire in England, died.

“We were very anxious,” he said. “We’re upset, but there’s a family in Wiltshire with a 17-year-old son who’s been killed and we can’t imagine the grief they’re going through.”

On hearing his son had shot the bear, he felt a “mixture of anxiety and pride”, he said.

His son, who lives in London and works as an events co-ordinator for the Royal Geographical Society, spoke warmly of Horatio in his email, he added.

Michael Reid described the schoolboy as “one of the best members of our group” and wrote “I am so devastated.”

The young man had been “really excited” about going on the trip, his first expedition with the BSES, his father said.

“He called us on the sat phone on Saturday and was having a great time,” he said, but had been left traumatised by the incident.

A close friend of Patrick, from Jersey, who was said to have punched the bear on the nose in an attempt to fend off the attack, was stunned to hear what had happened.

Wesley Riant, 16, who went to Haute Vallee School with Patrick, said: “It’s a bit of shock. I don’t think you can imagine anyone trying to take on a polar bear.”

He described his friend’s excitement about going on the trip, saying: “Nothing was going to stop him going. This sort of thing got his attention. He really wanted to do it from day one. It’s not like a normal holiday.”

Patrick’s father, Terry Flinders, has flown to Norway to be with his son, he added.

Hospital staff said it was hoped the survivors could be transferred to a hospital in the UK as soon as possible.

The four were treated under a general anaesthetic and were being kept in the “awakening area” of the hospital this morning, members of the medical team told a press conference there.

Tributes to Horatio continued to pour in, with scores of messages of condolence posted on a Facebook page by friends, family and well-wishers from as far afield as Australia and New Zealand.

The British Embassy in Norway said its priority was to reunite the patients with their families in a hospital in Britain.

About 80 people were involved in the expedition, with the young people in the group aged between 16 and 23.

The BSES said it had contacted every family affected and they had “shown support and understanding”.

Its priority is providing help and assistance, it said, and executive director Lt Gen Peter Pearson is on the ground in Svalbard.

The expedition was formed of seven teams known as ’fires’, the BSES said.

The fire affected was formed of 11 expedition members and two leaders.

The society said in a statement: “They were undertaking a long-term project to study glaciers and document changes since previous expeditions as part of ongoing scientific research into climate change.

“The eight uninjured expedition members of this fire are safe and well. Every other fire in this expedition has returned to the base camp, safe and accounted for. An announcement will be made about their plans within the next 24 hours.

“We extend our utmost sympathy to the family of Horatio Chapple...We will continue to focus on providing support and guidance to our expedition members and their families.”

Investigations into the incident are underway.

BSES Expeditions, which is based in Kensington, west London, is a registered charity and has close links with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.

The society’s expeditions are described as “a potent combination of personal development through adventurous activity and environmental research in remote wilderness areas”.