Prince of Wales Collegiate students who got hit with what appears to have been bear spray Wednesday morning described the incident as painful pandemonium.

"It was the worst pain felt in me life. It was nuts. Hurt so bad. Breathe it in, in me ears, me nostrils, me eyes, walking around, cursing me head off, but that's the way she goes," Matty Thompson, a student who went to the hospital, told CBC News before class

The video doesn't even get half of it. He kept spraying and spraying. - Daniel Vokey

Police cruisers and ambulances were dispatched to the school, where several students were assisted by paramedics, with some taken to hospital.

The RNC hasn't recovered the cannister of spray used in the incident, as seen in a video obtained by CBC, and can't confirm that it was bear spray, but all signs point to it as the likely substance. Police are still investigating, and no charges have been laid yet.

Students who spoke to CBC News on Thursday morning said the incident happened as two groups of students were confronting each other.

"I was just standing outside watching a fight and then they just bear-maced everybody," Daniel Vokey told CBC News on Thursday morning before class.

Some sort of aerosol — possibly bear spray — was deployed Wednesday morning at Prince of Wales Collegiate in St. John's, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary has confirmed. 0:20

Thompson said he drank a lot of milk, which can help alleviate the burning sensation of bear spray, designed for people in the wilderness to deter an aggressive or charging bear.

"And I hate milk. Had to drink it. They washed me eyes out. Hurt bad. Showered for 10 minutes straight, soap everywhere. Soap in me eyes, with bear spray. Killed. Wasn't fun," he said.

They don't even belong here and they shouldn't be here. - Matty Thomson

Zachary Reid said he was throwing up bear spray the rest of the day.

"It was orange," he said.

The students estimate they were just a few feet behind a student who got the brunt of the spray, as seen in the video.

"We were right behind the guy who got sprayed the most, like we were right behind him. And so when he fell down, it all hit us," said Vokey.

Paramedics take a stretcher from Prince of Wales Collegiate in St. John's on Wednesday morning. (Fred Hutton/CBC)

"When I was running away, I ended up running into five cars head-first, ducking down," said Kyle Hedderson. "I just couldn't do nothing. It was pretty painful, man."

The students described the fight as a standoff between two groups of people who don't like each other.

"Buddy tried to back up for someone and then he just took out bear spray and sprayed everyone," said Hedderson.

"And he kept spraying after the fact, too," said Vokey. "The video doesn't even get half of it. He kept spraying and spraying."

Reports vary on how many taken to hospital

While the police said about 15 to 20 people were affected by the spray, the teens say that's just the number of people who were taken to the hospital; they estimated more than 50 students caught at least some of the spray, thanks to the wind and the close proximity of people outside.

A police spokesperson told CBC said details area still being sorted out, but it was likely less than 10 who were taken to hospital.

We try to eliminate who may want to buy it for good vs. bad reasons. - Jonathan Earle

None of the students was surprised that someone had bear spray at school, and the characterized the students who had it as "skeets" and "dropouts."

"They don't even really come to our school," said Thompson. "They don't even belong here and they shouldn't be here."

Jonathan Earle, co-owner of the Outfitters, which sells outdoor gear and apparel on Water Street, said it's not easy for anyone to get, let alone minors.

"We keep it in the warehouse, tucked away on a shelf," he said. "If we get a request from a customer then we go and grab it if necessary."

Kyle Hedderson says after he was hit with bear spray he ran into several parked cars. (Peter Cowan/CBC)

It used to be kept in a glass case behind the cash desk, he said.

"People could identify it when they came in and said, 'Hey, can I purchase that,'" he said. "It was difficult for us to say, 'No, you can't.' So after a while we removed it from the floor so we could use our judgment and skill set to determine who's going to take it."

He said customers have asked to buy it for personal safety reasons, and staff have declined to sell it to them. He said staff are trained to ensure it's being sold to people who may need it — hikers and hunters, people working in the woods, he said. A form must be filled out, with ID provided, and it's not sold to people who are under 18, he said.

"We try to eliminate people that may want to buy it for good vs. bad reasons."

It's not the first time the school has had an incident involving bear spray.

In November 2014, students were sent home early after police received a threat against some students at the school, believed to be related to an incident at a Halloween party in which bear spray was allegedly released.

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