A woman and her 10-month-old daughter have died after apparently being attacked by a grizzly bear, officials say.

In a statement, the Yukon Coroner's Service said 37-year-old Valérie Théorêt and her baby, Adele Roesholt, died Monday.

“It was devastating. I just, I just couldn’t believe it at first,” said Verena Koenig, friend of Théorêt.

The statement said it appeared the mother, baby and father Gjermund Roesholt had been trapping in the Einarson Lake area for the past three months.

Gjermund told Mounties he'd been out trapping during the day. As he returned to his family cabin, he said, he was charged by a grizzly bear.

He was forced to shoot the bear dead, he told the Mayo RCMP. Then, as he approached the cabin, he found the bodies of his wife and daughter.

It's believed they were out for a walk when the bear approached Monday, sometime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Mounties said their deaths are being investigated as a "suspected bear attack."

Théorêt is being remembered for her warm, cheerful personality. She was a French immersion teacher at Whitehorse Elementary School and was an active member of the Franco community.

“She was so full of love and amazing,” Koenig said. “She was so happy to have a baby and being a mom.”

Koenig said Théorêt and her partner are “experienced bush people” and have been trapping in that area for the past three years.

Mounties and the Yukon's Department of the Environment are assisting the coroner's service with the ongoing investigation.