A Nasittuq Corporation report describes how 34-year-old Christopher Best was killed by polar bears on Aug. 8, 2024, while working at a remote North Warning System radar site on Breevort Island. The report says Best left a building after being told a bear was outside and likely focused on one animal while a second bear intercepted him; surveillance footage shows both animals attacking. Co-workers recovered his body and one bear was shot after charging at employees. Nasittuq recommends public-address alerts and requiring managerial permission before staff go outside; a federal investigation remains pending.
Photographer Killed by Polar Bears at Remote Canadian Radar Site, Report Reveals
A Nasittuq Corporation report describes how 34-year-old Christopher Best was killed by polar bears on Aug. 8, 2024, while working at a remote North Warning System radar site on Breevort Island. The report says Best left a building after being told a bear was outside and likely focused on one animal while a second bear intercepted him; surveillance footage shows both animals attacking. Co-workers recovered his body and one bear was shot after charging at employees. Nasittuq recommends public-address alerts and requiring managerial permission before staff go outside; a federal investigation remains pending.
06:41 AM, 11/13/2025Society
Report details fatal polar bear attack that killed a photographer on Breevort Island
A new report from Nasittuq Corporation outlines how 34-year-old photography enthusiast Christopher Best was fatally mauled by polar bears on Aug. 8, 2024, while working at a remote North Warning System (NWS) radar site on Breevort Island in northern Canada.
According to the report, Best had photographed a polar bear safely from inside a vehicle the day before the attack and had asked a wildlife monitor to alert him when additional bears appeared so he could take more photographs. On Aug. 8, an employee warned that a bear was outside; Best then left a building and passed a posted sign warning workers about wildlife.
Investigators say surveillance footage shows Best apparently focused on a bear that appeared to be at a safe distance and did not notice a second bear nearby. The footage reportedly shows the second bear intercepting him and the first bear joining the attack. Colleagues arrived too late to save him; workers later retrieved his body, and one bear was shot after charging at employees, the report says.
“We were just in shock,” said Shelly Cox, Best’s mother, who later received his camera and other personal effects.
Safety recommendations and ongoing probe
The Nasittuq report recommends several safety improvements, including making public-address announcements when polar bears are in the vicinity and requiring staff to obtain manager or supervisor permission before going outside. A separate federal investigation into Best’s death has not yet been completed.
Polar bears are apex predators in Arctic regions and can be unpredictable near human activity. The report underscores the risks of approaching wildlife, even when animals initially appear at a distance.
Note: The details above are drawn from the Nasittuq Corporation report and coverage by The Canadian Press; no additional independent findings were added.