Searchers find missing Quaqtaq man

A Quaqtaq man missing on the land for three days has been found by searchers.

Charlie Nuvuka left Kangirsuk midday on Jan. 7 alone en route to Quaqtaq on by snowmobile when he lost his way in blowing
snow.

The trip between Kangirsuk and Quaqtaq usually takes four to five hours by snowmobile, said Quaqtaq mayor Bobby Putulik.

When Nuvuka hadn’t returned to the village by evening, searchers set out from Kangirsuk to look for him.

For the next two days, search and rescue teams pursued Nuvuka’s tracks, much of which had been blown over with snow.

Nuvuka was located by searchers about 10 kilometres outside of Quaqtaq late Jan. 9, Putulik said. The man, who is in his 30s, was in good condition.

Putulik said that Nuvuka became disoriented and was headed toward Kangiqsujuaq when his ski-doo ran out of gas.

At that point, he reached the sea ice and abandoned his vehicle and supplies to attempt to walk back to the village.

When rescuers found him, he had been walking for close to eight hours, Putulik said.

Putulik said that Nuvuka was experienced on the land and well-equipped, which kept him in good condition while he was lost.

Regardless of survival skills, however, Putulik said poor visibility makes it difficult to navigate between the two villages.

“People usually get lost when there’s local blowing snow,” he told
Nunatsiaq News. “It’s hard to know where you are in that area.”

The mayor, who coordinated the search from Quaqtaq, credited Air Inuit for its help in the rescue effort. The airline flew low between Kangirsuk and Quaqtaq during those three days so passengers could try to spot the missing man.

In Puvirnituq, a search is still underway for an 18-year-old man who has not been seen since Dec. 14.

Jimmy Alasuak went missing Dec. 14 when he got caught in a blizzard while en route to his family’s hunting camp by snowmobile, located 80 kilometres away from the Hudson Bay community.