Search continues for three missing Salluit hunters

This photo was taken June 12 of beluga hunters from Kaniqsujuaq scanning the horizon for belugas in the Hudson Strait, as a Hercules passes by in its search for the three missing Salluit hunters. (PHOTO BY YAAKA JAAKA)

(updated June 15, 8:15 a.m.)

Search and rescue teams from CFB Trenton and Nunavik continue to search by air, land and sea to locate Frankie Ikey, his son Stas, and family friend Adamie Alaku, who have been missing since June 8 when they left to go seal hunting in the vicinity of Deception Bay.

Search and rescue boats were out earlier this week along the Hudson Strait coast, although foggy conditions hampered some of the air search efforts.

On the morning of June 15, Jean-Pierre Sharp from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ont. said a Hercules and a Comorant helicopter would continue to fly over the area between Salluit and Deception Bay, the destination of the hunters who headed out June 8.

They set off seal hunting in a 22-foot freighter canoe, with hunting gear, satellite phone and an HFB radio.

The three men were expected to return during the evening of June 8, but never returned.

Sharp said when the hunters set out, the ice had blown away from the shore.

So, the hunters may have gone to towards the floe edge to hunt, he said.

If there was damage to their boat, they could have gone on to an ice floe for safety, Sharp told Nunatsiaq News .

Despite no signs yet of the missing hunters or their boat, “we’re still hoping it’s going to be a rescue,” Sharp said June 14.

Searches also expanded westward and north of Charles Island on June 14, Sharp said.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre first received a call June 9 about the missing hunters and sent a Hercules aircraft from Winnipeg to the scene, he said.

Two Hercules aircraft, a Cormorant helicopter and a Twin Otter have been involved in the searches, looking, sector by sector, over a large area. Sharp said.

Windy, rainy and foggy weather hampered early search and rescue efforts by the Northern Village of Salluit, Qaqqalik Landholding Corp., members of the Canadian Rangers, and the Kativik Regional Police Force.

On the afternoon of June 13, six search and rescue boats were out looking for signs of the missing hunters and other teams were out on the land.

Hunters from Kangiqsujuaq were also leaving to conduct their own search on two boats.

As a result of persistent winds from the west by southwest, the pack ice now lies many miles off shore, Nunatsiaq News learned, so that is where they planned to start their search.

Due to the extreme danger of this rescue operation, the two boats, led by Aqujaq Qisiiq, a skilled guide and hunter, were to travel within sight of each other.