Doug Inglis and Jenny Gusse: Pair killed in bear attack sent distressing message to uncle before deaths
Doug Inglis and his common-law wife, Jenny Gusse, died while on a one-week hiking excursion in Banff National Park
MONTREAL, CANADA: A couple who lost their lives along with their pet dog sent a heartbreaking last message to their uncle before their deaths.
Doug Inglis and his common-law wife, Jenny Gusse, died while on a one-week hiking excursion in Banff National Park. Their 7-year-old female border collie named Tris also died in the fatal incident, Fox News reported.
What did Doug Inglis and Jenny Gusse say in the message?
The duo’s uncle, Colin Inglis, told the Calgary Herald, “I got a call from their Garmin (inReach device) that said, ‘Bear attack bad,’” last Friday, September 29.
“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,” he shared.
The same distressing message was also reportedly received by a response team as well but by the time they reached the spot where the couple was camping, they were dead.
The devastated relative revealed, “Their tent was crushed and their e-readers were open, they were both discovered in their stocking feet.”
Colin continued, “One can of bear spray had been fully discharged but this bear was not to be deterred. It’s possible one was on the outside trying to fend off the bear while the other was in the tent sending the message.”
Who were Doug Inglis and Jenny Gusse?
Inglis and Gusse were both 62 years old. The former worked as a research scientist at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Research Centre in Lethbridge and his partner was a lab technician at the same place.
The uncle said, “Jenny was on the ground in that research, carrying out that research…there are holes in that lab right now.”
“They approached everything in their outdoor pursuits the same way they approached that science — the mapping, the planning, the food, everything,” he noted, before asserting, “They did everything right, but bad things happen.”
Meanwhile, a friend and co-worker of the two has described them as someone who were “serious about their environmental footprint”.
They added, “Doug was the kind of guy you’d want to go on a hike with and be comfortable about doing the right thing and not get lost. They were serious about their environmental footprint…Doug and Jenny meant what they said and did what they said.”
University of Lethbridge releases a statement
The University of Lethbridge released a statement on their death, saying, "The University of Lethbridge community is saddened by the tragic passing of Dr Doug Inglis and his partner Jenny Gusse this past weekend, and sends its deepest condolences to their families, and all faculty, staff and students who may have worked with or learned from Inglis and Gusse in their roles with ULethbridge."
