Described as poor swimmer, 45-year-old went down in deepest part of lake

The dangerous sport of watercross claimed the life of a 45-year-old Kugluktuk man who drowned on Canada Day.

According to the RCMP, Harry Aviak drowned in Heart Lake, about 10 kilometres from the community, when his snowmobile sank as he was attempting to cross the lake.

Aviak's risky activity is known as "watercross" in the South where there are many watercross associations and races.

Watercross race events include drag races, oval races (consisting of four-lap circuits for heats and six-lap circuits for finals), ramp-jumping, timed figure-eights, and even couples oval racing.

Snowmobiles used for watercross should be able to maintain a water speed of 80-90 km/h, according to one watercross web site.

At this speed, when a snowmobile is out on the water, its tracks can work a bit like paddles, while the skis help the machine slide or skip across the water.

Watercross drivers should remove their seats, tape up the hood to keep water off the clutch and belt, and yank the tether if it becomes obvious they are going into the water.

As long as the engine isn't running when it goes under, it won't be damaged.

And to avoid drowning or perishing from hypothermia, drivers should wear life preservers with survival suits.

But Aviak, who was a poor swimmer, was not wearing any protection. Police say he went down in icy water in the deepest portion of the lake, where the water is between eight and 10 feet.

Community members who had watched Aviak's accidental drowning from the shore alerted the RCMP. Police and searchers spent about four hours in boats pulling dredge bars to where the snowmobile had gone down. Aviak's body was found nearby the machine.

Sgt. Chris Bewsher, who was on call that day, said the tragic incident marred an otherwise quiet month in Kugluktuk.

On June 26, the hamlet placed a ban on alcohol sales in a move intended to limit arrests.

That's because the police station, which was under renovation, had to be closed after workers discovered asbestos boards covered over during a previous renovation.

Fears that cancer-causing asbestos fibres might have entered the air were laid to rest this past week when workplace safety inspectors determined that the material containing the asbestos did not leave any residue.

Renovations to enlarge the station with additional cells will now resume.

The alcohol ban has cut arrests from more than one arrest per day to only three since June 26, Bewsher said.

"It's been significantly noticeable," he said.