In what is believed to be one of the most dreadful and shocking ordeal, a 17-year old British boy Horatio Chapple was mauled to death by a male polar bear on Friday.

The attack took place around 40 km from Longyearbyen near the Von Post glacier in Svalbard. Horatio was part of a youth development charity group called BSES (British Schools Exploring Society) that organized the five-week expedition that started from July 23, 2011 promising an exploration of the "untouched beauty and wilderness" of the region.

The archipelago of Svalbard is often said to be a haven for travelers and nature lovers and is often frequented by scientists and adventurers who come to study its diverse eco-systems. In fact, polar bears are regarded as the iconic symbol of Svalbard and are the main tourist attraction of the region.

Policemen from the Governor of Svalbard have confirmed that the 250 kg male polar bear has killed Horatio and had injured four others in the group. This includes 29-year old Michael Reid, 27-year old Andrew Ruck, 17-year old Patrick Flinders and 16-year old Scott Smith.

All the injured members have been transferred currently from the hospital in Longyearbyen to the University hospital in Tromsø.

Currently, no members from the team have agreed for any kind of media contact. However, a spokesperson from BSES has confirmed that the rest of the team members are unharmed while four people in the attack have severe injuries.

The bear attacked the tents as they were lying in their sleeping bags. They were rescued by team leaders Michael Reid and Andrew Ruck who intervened with rifles and killed the polar bear.

This report comes amid a series of bear attacks that have occurred recently near Alaska and Central Canada.

On Friday, there was another report of a 57-year old woman who was attacked by a bear in Pukaskwa National Park on Lake Superior in Ontario. Also, a group of student hikers in Alaska was attacked by grizzly bear injured four of them.

Check out the images of the attack below:

shocking Ordeal 17-year old Killed by Polar Bear in the Arctic.
17-year-old Horatio Chapple killed by a polar bear on Friday. Reuters/snapshot.
Horrific Ordeal 17-year old Killed by Polar Bear in the Arctic.
People stand at a camp on the central island of Spitsbergen, where a 250kg male polar bear attacked a group of British campers, August 5, 2011. The polar bear killed a 17-year-old boy and seriously injured four people, Norwegian officials said. It was later shot by a member of the group. Reuters.
Horrific Ordeal 17-year old Killed by Polar Bear in the Arctic.
A dead polar bear is seen after it was shot by a member of a group of British campers, whom the bear attacked on the central island of Spitsbergen in Norway's Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic, in this still image taken from mobile phone video footage shot August 5, 2011. The polar bear attacked the group on Friday, killing a 17-year-old boy and seriously injuring four people, Norwegian officials said. Reuters.
Horrific Ordeal 17-year old Killed by Polar Bear in the Arctic.
People pull the remains of a 250kg male polar bear away from the scene after it was shot by a member of a group of British campers on the central island of Spitsbergen in Norway's Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic August 5, 2011. The polar bear attacked the group on Friday, killing a 17-year-old boy and seriously injuring four people, Norwegian officials said. Reuters.
Horrific Ordeal 17-year old Killed by Polar Bear in the Arctic.
An injured person is carried from a helicopter in Longyearbyen August 5, 2011, after a polar bear attacked a group of tourists on Friday, killing one person and seriously injuring four, in the Norwegian Arctic island group of Svalbard, an official said. Reuters.