Her 9mm is a very poor choice for bear country. She is lucky it was not a brown bear.
We are in Alaska and on our way to a brown bear hike, we saw one in the timber, come out to the road and meander off. We drove another 1/2 mile to hike into a valley with a stream that they had luck seeing them. Just about the time we were ready to get off the bus our guide said we would have an armed escort. About a 21 year old young lady with a stainless 12 gauge & deer slugs. I felt a lot better after that.