Five saved from floating ice

IQALUIT — A Greenlandic military helicopter swooped down and plucked five people from a floating ice pan off the coast of Clyde River last week.

The dramatic rescue may have saved the life of the four men and one woman, who were hunting polar bears when the pan broke off and began drifting away from the ice edge.

Concerned that waves were beginning to wash up onto the ice, emergency-services officials determined that the fastest way to get to the stranded hunters was by summoning a helicopter from Greenland.

The helicopter lifted the five from the ice and took them to Qikiqtarjuak, where they were reported to be in good condition.

Eric Doig, Nunavut’s emergency services manager, praised the Greenlanders for lending a hand. “This is really the first time we’ve had an opportunity to make a call like this, and I know they’re more than happy to jump in and participate,” he said.