Iqaluit snowmobiler thanks rescuers after fall into icy river

Updated on Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Ainiak Korgak’s snowmobile ride Monday was meant to be a routine trip to his cabin.

That was, until the ice cracked underneath him.

Korgak was standing well and in good spirits Friday, expressing gratitude to the first responders as well as a snowmobiler with a qamutik who came to his aid after he and his snowmobile sank into the Sylvia Grinnell River in Iqaluit earlier this week.

“I just want to thank everybody,” Korgak said.

He recalled heading out Monday just before 9 a.m. It was about -15 C, the sun was rising, and there was fresh snow on the ground.

He arrived at a narrow crossing point on the river within Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park, near the airport runway, and stopped to look around before driving across.

“It looked fine,” he recalled, though there were a few puddles on the ice.

He crossed going at about 20 km/h — not a “racing” speed.

Then the ice began to crack, and Korgak couldn’t throttle out to move his snowmobile forward.

“My machine sunk at the back, not completely, but I couldn’t go any further,” he said. He dismounted and started walking on the ice back to shore.

But, he said, “The ice just gave away and I went down.”

Korgak, 70, described standing waist-high in icy cold water, unable to walk further or get himself out.

But he was able to call the city’s emergency services dispatch on his cellphone and ask for help.

The arrival of emergency vehicles several minutes later caught the attention of Kenny Merkosak, who was at the park. It’s “unusual” to see the fire department in that area, he said, so he followed.

At the river, Merkosak saw Korgak in the water and the first responders trying to help.

It looked like the firefighters needed help, so Merkosak went to his cousin’s shop nearby and returned with a qamutik attached to his snowmobile. It took a few tries, Korgak said, but the fire department pulled him to land using ring-shaped lifebuoys.

He figures he was in the water for a half-hour. By that point, he was too weak to walk.

Merkosak saw the first responders were having trouble moving Korgak. “Sure enough, they needed help,” he said.

Ainiak Korgak’s snowmobile sits submerged in Sylvia Grinnell River Monday morning. Later in the day, some people helped remove the machine from the ice. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)

He gave Korgak a lift on his qamutik to a waiting fire department vehicle. Once loaded in, Korgak was taken to hospital.

“I was very worried,” Merkosak said. “I’m pretty sure he was pretty close to getting hypothermia.”

Korgak recovered in hospital and returned home after six hours. He said he didn’t get frostbite, but medical staff monitored his protein levels and body temperature.

Friday morning at the Amaruq Hunters and Trappers Association building, Korgak was able to thank Merkosak in person for helping him. He extended his thanks to Iqaluit’s emergency services department, hospital staff and the people who eventually helped pull his snowmobile out of the river.

“I was happy to see him walking,” Merkosak said.

Reflecting on the incident, Korgak said it’s important that people carry an emergency communication device and if possible travel in groups.

Luckily, his spill happened near the city, he had cell service and the weather wasn’t bad.

“It wasn’t as dire or dangerous as [situations] some people find themselves in,” he said.

On Friday, the Government of Nunavut issued a news release warning people of “dangerous” ice conditions at Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park. It encouraged people to monitor ice conditions and equip themselves with whistles, radios and ropes.

Correction: This article has been updated from its originally published version to correct the spelling of Ainiak Korgak’s name.