Eton Student Killed By Polar Bear In Norway

A British student has been killed by a polar bear while camping with an expedition group in Norway.

He has been named as Horatio Chapple, 17, from near Salisbury in Wiltshire and a student at Eton College.

Four others were seriously injured in the attack - the group's leaders Michael Reid and Andrew Ruck along with two of the participants in the trip, Patrick Flinders and Scott Smith.

Two of the injured are believed to have suffered serious head and face injuries.

The group was travelling with the British Schools Exploring Society (BSES).

The chairman of BSES, Edward Watson, paid tribute to Mr Chapple.

He said: "Horatio was a fine young man, hoping to go on to read medicine after school. By all accounts he would've made an excellent doctor."

Mr Watson also offered the family of Mr Chapple "utmost sympathy."

Mr Reid, who is a member of staff at the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), was leading the group as part of his summer break.

An RGS spokesman told Sky News: "He is a member of staff however his role in the BSES expedition is not connected with his employment at the (RGS).

"Mr Reid's involvement with BSES was a personal undertaking in his own time and he joined the BSES expedition this summer using his holiday time allowance."

The group was attacked while on a trip near Spitsbergen, in the Svalbard islands, and were part of a larger group of around 80 people.

The BSES's Mr Watson added: "We and the Norwegian authorities are currently establishing the full circumstances of his tragic death and will not be releasing this until we have discussed it with the family.

The victims were staying in a campsite containing 13 people which was attacked by the bear.

A helicopter photographed shocked survivors at the site, in an area covered by glacial rubble, where tents were pinned down by large rocks.

In an interview with ITV Channel Television Patrick Flinders said he was inspired by the BSES to make the trip after they gave a talk at his school.

Mr Flinders, from Jersey, tried to fend off the bear but was injured when it lashed out.

"It was an organised group. They had a camp set up and this attack happened in the camp," he said.

A spokeswoman for the governor of Svalbard said explorers usually set up trip wires which fires off a rocket if animals enter the camp.

British ambassador to Norway, Jane Owen, said the group had taken adequate precautions to minimise risks and increase safety.

The attack took place near the Von Post glacier and it is believed the expedition group undertook firearm training prior to the incident.

After the attack the group alerted authorities by a satellite phone.

The deputy governor Lars Erik Alfheim told Sky News: "We deployed a helicopter with medical and police personnel, upon arrival one person was declared dead and four people injured.

The injured are being treated at University hospital in Tromso, and the British ambassador has travelled to the area.

The trip which began on July 23, was due to continue until August 28.

Kyle Gouveia returned early from the trip due to frost-nip.

Speaking to Sky News, he described the group as a "friendly bunch" and said he had not seen any polar bears on the trip.

In a statement, Norwegian authorities said the bear, which weighed 250kg, had been shot dead before it was transported back to a nearby base.

Earlier this year the governor of Svalbard issued a warning about the animals after several were spotted close to Longyearbyen, the nearest major town.

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