A black bear that attacked a man who was soaking in his hot tub on Sunday afternoon has been shot and killed by police in Whistler, B.C.

The 55-year-old Coquitlam man was relaxing in the backyard hot tub with his back to the forest when he was struck by a blow to the head that knocked him over in the tub, according to a statement released by police on Monday morning.

When he turned around to investigate, he found himself face to face with a male black bear, said Staff Sgt. Steve LeClair.

The man yelled at the bear and retreated to the safety of his home and called police, who located the bear about 100 metres away in the forest and shot it.

Police say a necropsy will be done on the bear in an attempt to determine the motivation for the attack.

The man was treated for cuts on the back of his head at the local health centre.