This B.C. woman was enjoying the fall colours. Then a bear attacked. Now she's in the ICU

In the intensive care unitat the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Gary Hansen sits by the bedof his wife, Leosette [Cheng] Canoy, telling her, "We love you. Hang on."

He can't hold his wife'shand because her arms are too badly mauled froma bear attack.

She is sedated and on a ventilator after undergoing more than six hours of surgery for injuries to her arms, head, back, and ear.

"She's my gift from God. It'shorrific to see my wife like that. The bear chewed her up bad."

Canoyand her friend,Analyn Shurtliff Bartolome,were critically injured by a male black bear who charged them on a walking trail near Dawson Creek, B.C., on Monday.

Canoy's niece, Wenneli Canoy, who was on the walkbut wasn't injured, said her aunt was attacked when she rushed to the aid of her friend.

Bartolome's teenage son was also injured trying to fend off the bear. He and Canoy's niece were eventually able to reach safety and call 911.

With darkness coming on, police say two RCMP officers inan all-terrain vehicle found the two women lying in the bush with life-threatening injuries.

Staff Sgt. Damon Werrell, detachment commander of the Dawson Creek RCMP, said the officersshot and killed a large bear nearbythat appeared to be "guarding the victims."

Hansen said he's haunted by the image of his wife and her friendlyingin the bush, waiting to be rescued, with the bear"guarding his catch, his next meal."

Canoy was medevaced to a hospital in Edmonton, almost 600 kilometres away.

Hansen said his wife works with disabled adults and is a devout Christian.

She emigrated to Canada from the Philippines about 15 years ago, and he says, fell in love with the Canadian wilderness.

He said his wife loveshiking and camping, and the couple often goes quaddingin the area.

He said the group set out on the walking trail Monday "looking for nice spots to take fall pictures with the autumn leaves."

In a post on social media, a family friend of Bartolome, the second victim, says sheis in ICU in Vancouver and has severe arm injuries.

The post says Bartolome is a wife and mother oftwo teenage children and works hard to support her family.

Dawson Creek's close-knit Filipino community and local businesses are rallying to support the womenand help bring Canoy's mother and nephewto her bedside fromthe Philippines.

A Dawson creek trucking company donated $500.

"We have a big Filipino community here, and I have some Filipino people working for my company. I just asked them how I could help. They're really going to need some help," said Neil Norman of Reg Norman Trucking

Hansen says he'll be by his wife's sidefor the long recovery.

"We live in Canada here, and we hear about bear attacks, but we never think it's gonna be us, you know?And now here it is with my family, and it's been a horrible ordeal. I'm overwhelmed."