Coroner confirms death of missing Iqaluit hunter

The body of an Iqaluit hunter was retrieved from the sea ice along Frobisher Bay Feb. 4. (IMAGE COURTESY OF NSIDC)

The office of Nunavut’s chief coroner has confirmed the death and cause of death for an Iqaluit hunter who went missing Jan. 30.

Mosesee Kownirk, 68, did not return as expected from a Jan. 30 hunting trip on Frobisher Bay. A search and rescue group went out to look for Kownirk, discovering his belongings roughly 30 kilometres south of Iqaluit.

The coroner’s office said the 68-year-old’s body was found and retrieved from the frozen sea on Feb. 4.

Chief coroner Padma Suramala said Kownirk died from drowning and exposure to cold water, and his death is considered accidental.

Last week, the Government of Nunavut issued a reminder to Nunavummiut to take safety precautions before travelling on the land.

The GN encourages hunters — even experienced ones — to make a point to travel with a hunting partner and to bring along an emergency communication device, such as a SPOT GPS device which can be signed out free of charge at hamlet offices throughout Nunavut.

You can press 911 on your SPOT device in emergency situations.

Hunters should also prepare for 72 hours on the land, the GN said, by packing extra fuel, food, clothing and equipment. Travellers should always tell friends and family where they plan to be, and when they plan to return.