A man who has been missing for close to a week has been found alive and well and is recovering in Aklavik.
Having left Aklavik alone in a small fishing boat headed towards Inuvik on June 8, the man ran out of gasoline along the way and became disoriented. While attempting to start a fire on the riverbank near Shallow Bay, the man injured himself and then made a distress the Canadian Coast Guard.
“It is the co-ordinated efforts of the agencies that assist in an RCMP organized Search and Rescue that leads to the ability for us to report the person was located and rescued and provided medical information,” said Aklavik RCMP Detachment Commander Cpl. Chris Whynot. “Thank you to all those involved with the search efforts”
Aklavik RCMP was contacted to organize a rescue and was able to establish radio contact with the man and maintained it throughout the rescue operation.
Teams of volunteers joined by the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary from Inuvik patrolled the Delta overnight looking for the man. While the teams were able to keep in radio contact with him, high waters and dense willow prevented them from finding him for some time. He was finally spotted from a helicopter at a lake off the Leland Channel, stuck to a pile of driftwood in the early morning of June 9.
He was taken to the local health centre, and then escorted by a doctor to a flight to Inuvik where he has received medical care.