Radar tech mauled to death by polar bears while photographing them at Arctic outpost

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Radar tech mauled to death by polar bears while photographing them at Arctic outpost​

By
Alex Oliveira
Published Nov. 11, 2025, 2:32 p.m. ET
124 Comments

A Canadian radar technician was mauled to death by a pair of polar bears as he took photos of them while working at a remote Arctic outpost, it emerged this week.
Christopher Best, 34, left the safety of the Brevoort Island facility the day after he arrived to work there, so that he could take photos of a bear on the grounds, a report into his Aug. 8 death revealed.
He had walked past a sign warning employees to be on the lookout for bears — and reassured his worried parents he was OK when they asked him hours earlier about photos of the bears he was posting online, they told CTV News

Christopher Best, 34, had arrived at the remote Arctic base just a day before he was mauled to death.Fillatre's Funeral Homes
“Chris said, ‘Well, yeah, they’re not close to us,’” his mother, Shelly Cox, told CTV.

Best snapped photos of an enormous animal that he thought was alone — just to be cornered by a second bear lurking nearby, the report said.
Both bears charged, mauling and killing him, the report revealed.

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“I don’t think he would have [gone] out if he would have known that second bear was there,” the mother said. “We were just in shock.”
Other employees called for a gun when they saw the attack, and a “bear-banger” shot — which creates a loud noise to scare the animals off — was eventually fired.
But it was too late to save Best — and one of the bears charged responders after the banger was fired, forcing employees to shoot and kill the animal.

Best posted these photos of a polar bear on the remote Arctic radar outpost just a day before he was mauled to death.Facebook/Chris Best Photography
Best had arrived at the base just a days before the accident.
He had also posted photos of a bear at the base just a day before he was killed — though it remains unclear if it was one of the same animals that killed him.
His mother said her son’s death could have been avoided if precautions, like fencing, were installed by the company that operated the outpost, Nasittuq.
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What do you think? Post a comment.
A company report on the incident agreed with her position, but noted there had been no bear attacks on the facility since it opened 70 years ago.
A polar bear was killed on the site in 2023, however, after it tried to get into a building and wouldn’t leave.
“We care deeply for the safety and well-being of all our employees and feel for everyone who continues to be affected by this tragic incident,” Nasittuq told CTV.

Radar tech mauled to death by polar bears while photographing them at Arctic outpost

Just hours before he was mauled to death, the radar tech told his worried parents the bears were “not close.”

nypost.com

 

[feelosofer]

Wow. RIP to the young man.

 

[lamont614]

Polar bears don’t play around

 

[lowkey0z]

He had walked past a sign warning employees to be on the lookout for bears

fukking idiot

Other employees called for a gun when they saw the attack, and a “bear-banger” shot — which creates a loud noise to scare the animals off — was eventually fired.

But it was too late to save Best — and one of the bears charged responders after the banger was fired, forcing employees to shoot and kill the animal.

condolences to the bear's family

 

[Wig Twistin Season]

Wow.

I’ve stood next to 2 caged bears… close enough to see that their fur has a natural oily sheen to it in the sun. They were supposedly raised from cubs by humans, but were MASSIVE.

That was enough to scare me from ever wanting to see one in the wild.

I’ve also seen photos of the remains of humans eaten by bears.

What the fukk was he thinking?

 

[OneManGang]

Sad but it sounds like he was a bit too lackadaisical with his safety and protocols. Not enough respect for these animals in a hostile environment

 

[Hawaiian Punch]

Wow. RIP to the young man.

How about RIP to the bear that got killed because this idiot don’t want to read the signs. He literally walked past a sign warning employees to be on the lookout for bears. He’s in their territory and they are just animals being animals.

 

[Black White Sox Hat]

I never looked at these creatures the same after I saw that video of one torturing a seal peeling it’s skin off slowly but keeping it alive.You grow up with them in Coca Cola ads sledding with shades on,hanging hallmark ornaments of them on Christmas trees.They got the game fukked up.These things really are demonic creatures.

 

[OneManGang]

I never looked at these creatures the same after I saw that video of one torturing a seal peeling it’s skin off slowly but keeping it alive.You grow up with them in Coca Cola ads sledding with shades on,hanging hallmark ornaments of them on Christmas trees.They got the game fukked up.These things really are demonic creatures.

You can’t demonize an animal for trying to survive

But I feel what you’re trying to say. Polar bears are apex predators and genuinely monstrous. They eat when they can and whatever they can

 

[Pacni99a12]

Damn. Horrible way to go

 

[Yaboysix]

Advanced as we are and there's no footage?

Really wanted to see video of a man of Caucasian decent getting eaten by a polar Bear...

RIP to that man, though...

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

RIP to dude, but even thinking it's one bear is one too many. those things have to eat whatever prey they find and can smell prey up to 20 miles away, no need to have been out there pressing his luck

 

[maxamusa]

creh never seen the revenant? thought shyt was sweet

 

[jay83]

Polar bears are there to eat whatever is available. They don’t care.

And if you see one he’s already hunting you.

 

[jdubnyce]

Got that bear killed