Rescued Nunavut hunters treated for hypothermia

[PMedMoe]

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A 17-year-old boy from Coral Harbour, Nunavut, is in stable condition being treated for hypothermia after he was rescued off an ice floe in the mouth of Hudson Bay on Monday. His uncle was also taken to hospital.

The teen and his uncle, Inuit elder Jimmy Nakoolak, were out on a weekend hunting trip when their snowmobile broke down on the way back to Coral Harbour, a community located on the southern coast of Southampton Island.

After Nakoolak departed on foot to get help, the ice cracked and the boy was stranded on an ice pan about 50 metres by 50 metres in size for about three days.

Nakoolak was found on Sunday, while military searchers located and rescued the boy off the ice floe on Monday morning.

Nunavut RCMP spokesman Jimmy Akavak told CBC News the both men were flown to a hospital in Churchill, Man., for treatment and observation. Both were reported to have hypothermia.

"Both are said to be stable, but the young man was very, very much hypothermic so they're taking precautions on how they treat him and how they handle him," Akavak said.

"So hopefully he'll do better."

Akavak said while the teen was stranded on the ice floe, he was forced to shoot a polar bear that came within 150 metres of him.

Both police and conservation officers in Coral Harbour have confirmed that the polar bear was killed in self-defence.

More than 40 search and rescue volunteers from Coral Harbour, a hamlet of about 800 people, worked with RCMP and military crews in the three-day search.

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[helpup]

I caught that on the news last night.  Good story, the kid was lucky but had the smarts to survive up there in that temp and conditions.  Also to add he had to shoot a Polar Bear who was sniffing around.  From the photo's on the TV it looked like he had some seals with him for sustinance and what ever else he could use to help him stay alive.  The polar bear was reported with two cubs but again main point being he is lucky to be alive and luck was assisted by his own abilities.  Kudo's for the SAR crews involved.  Nothing like finding a needle in a haystack

 

[observor 69]

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"As daylight broke on Monday, another Hercules aircraft went up and located Mr. Angootealuk. Sergeant Randy McOrmond, Master Corporal Rob Richardson and Master Corporal Eric Beaudoin jumped to the ice below.

“The fact that our technicians were able to parachute in to land on an ice floe close by is an amazing thing for them,” said Jean-Pierre Sharp, maritime search and rescue co-ordinator.

“It's kind of like if you would imagine trying to jump from lily pad to lily pad out on some ice and slushy water,” he said, describing how they crawled on their bellies to the teen.

Mr. Angootealuk was conscious, but suffering from hypothermia and frostbite. "

Bravo Zulu to the SAR techs