Young Nunavut father dies following Taloyoak snowmobile accident

John Jacob Krejunark, or Qiunaaq, a young Kugaaruk father of two young children, died April 23 from injuries he received in an snowmobile accident in Taloyoak. (FILE PHOTO)

A young Kugaaruk man died April 23 at an Edmonton hospital from injuries suffered during an April 21 snowmobile accident in Taloyoak that another young man managed to survive, police said April 24.

The Nunavut RCMP, in a release, did not name the accident victims.

But a source in Taloyoak confirmed the dead young man as John Jacob Krejunark, or Qiunaaq, described as about 22 or 23 and the father of two children he was raising with a common-law spouse in Kugaaruk.

The source said Krejunark was a passenger on the snowmobile and described the accident as a rollover.

Facebook messages suggest the young man had been planning to return to Kugaaruk April 22.

The driver of the snowmobile, Cory Uquqtuq of Taloyoak, about 18, survived with minor injuries, the source said.

Police found the two young men at about 10:30 p.m. April 21 and took them to the health centre in Taloyoak.

Krejunark was medevaced to an Edmonton hospital soon after.

The Office of the Coroner and “community partners,” continue to investigate, police said.

The RCMP did not disclose the cause of the accident, but did insert a safety reminder into their release.

“At this time, the RCMP reminds the public to abide by all rules of the road to help keep our communities safe,” police said.

However, a Taloyoak woman said on Facebook that the two young men appeared to be intoxicated that night.

“He was already intoxicated at the gym, after 10, so I told him and his buddy to leave the gym cuz there were intoxicated, and then not even 10 minutes later they crashed..,” the woman said.