Elder, 76, found after five-day search

JOHN THOMPSON

Search teams found an elder stranded on the land after a five-day effort outside Cambridge Bay.

Mathew Nakashook, 76, rode out of town on his ATV on Sept. 18, bound for a lake about 160 kilometres due north to go fishing. Later that day, he expected to meet his son, who carried extra fuel.

But Nakashook drifted off course, and the two never met up. After his family searched for him without success for several days, they called search and rescue on Wednesday, Sept. 21.

Nakashook remained in radio contact with his family, letting them know he was well equipped with a tent and camping supplies. But he had run out of fuel, and he couldn’t pinpoint his location for searchers. Then he began to run low on food, and the radio battery died.

A helicopter from the coast guard ship Sir Wilfred Laurier helped in the search effort. On Friday afternoon, searchers aboard the helicopter spotted Nakashook’s camp, about 65 kilometres east of Cambridge Bay.

Not long later, searchers aboard an aircraft from Adlair Aviation spotted Nakashook not far from the camp. He had begun to walk home. The helicopter picked him up in good health and returned him to Cambridge Bay.

Nakashook did everything right and never appeared to panic, said Sgt. Bill Mooney, who was involved in the search. Still, he hopes the event will serve as a wake-up call.

“We need to look after our elders too. They’ve been on the land for all their lives, but they’re not invincible.”
“I know if it was me out there, I wouldn’t have survived.”