Summer Myomick GoFundMe: Family launches fundraiser as mother and son dies in Alaskan polar bear attack

On Tuesday, January 17, Summer Myomick and her son lost their lives in a polar bear attack in the Alaskan town of Wales. A GoFundMe page has been set up by a family friend for the funeral expenses of the mother-of-two.

According to the fundraiser, the attack on January 17 was the first fatal polar bear attack in Alaska in over 30 years. Following recent electrical issues at their home in the village of St Michael, Summer Myomick and her family were displaced when tragedy struck. Her son, Clyde Ongtowasruk III, was only a year old.

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What happened to Summer Myomick and her baby? School principal praised for saving lives amidst tragedy

24-year-old Summer Myomick and her infant son were brutally mauled to death by a polar bear at around 2.30 pm on Tuesday. The mother-son duo came face-to-face with a polar bear outside Kingikmuit School in Wales. The attack continued until a local fatally shot the bear.

A GoFundMe page set up by a friend described Summer Myomick as a "devoted mother" to her son Clyde and 3-year-old daughter Avatia. Cynthia Hare wrote:

"She was kind and loved by all in her village of St Michael, and her second home Wales. She was a young mother who was incredibly proud of her two young babies."

As of Saturday, the fundraiser has raised over $19,000. The funds will be used to cover funeral expenses, groceries, and airfare for family members to fly home for memorial services.

The rare attack, which left two people dead, could have taken a deadlier turn if not for the quick thinking of the principal of a Wales school and other local residents.

According to reports, the bear chased several people who had attempted to save the mother and son before it was fatally shot by a resident. A daily dispatch by the Alaska Department of Public Safety initially said:

"Initial reports indicate that a polar bear had entered the community and had chased multiple residents. The bear fatally attacked an adult female and juvenile male."

In further updates, the Alaska Department of Public Safety said that Troopers and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game have arrived in the small town of Wales following the tragedy:

"Troopers and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game are working to travel to Wales as weather conditions allow...The US Fish and Wildlife Service has been notified of the incident. Earlier today, an Alaska State Trooper and a representative from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game traveled to Wales to investigate the polar bear attack that occurred yesterday."

The statement further continued:

"The remains of Myomick and Ongtowasruk were transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy. The investigation revealed that Myomick and Ongtowasruk were walking between the school and the clinic when the bear attacked them."

According to media reports, the attack took place at the front entrance of the Kingikmiut School building while Summer Myomick and Clyde Ongtowasruk were walking to the local clinic. As the brutal attack took place, community members and employees from the school tried to scare the polar bear away with shovels.

However, the attempt backfired as the polar bear chased them back into the school. The school's principal immediately decided to close the school gates to keep the bear from causing more damage.

Following Summer Myomick's death, Susan R. Nedza, the chief school administrator for the Bering Strait School District, told the Anchorage Daily News:

"The bear tried to enter with them."

Due to the attack, Principal Dawn Hendrickson put the building on lockdown and closed all the blinds of the building so the children couldn’t witness the terrifying attack.