7 hunters home safe after ice floe shifts near Arctic Bay
Seven hunters from Arctic Bay who were stranded on an ice floe are back home safe and sound.
The hunters managed to make it back on their own around 5 p.m. Wednesday evening, said Valerie Taqtu with local search and rescue.
Helicopters from Pond Inlet and Resolute tried to get to the group Wednesday morning but had to turn back because of fog.
The hunters were able to use a 12-foot boat to get over ice and water, but they had to leave the rest of their equipment on the ice, Taqtu said.
Tom Naqitarvik is one of the hunters. He caught a whale earlier in the trip.
"Good to be home," he told the CBC in Inuktitut. "Tired, wet, dehydrated. Good to be home."
The hunters were at the floe edge when the ice broke off.
They had four sleds and a small boat with them, as well as a satellite phone, CB radio, warm clothes and food to last several days.
Searchers were notified on Monday evening and the search began.
They were reported to be 100 kilometres on the east side of Admiralty Inlet.
Seven snowmobiles remain on the ice. Naqitarvik says they’ll have to wait for better conditions to try and retrieve them.
The hunters include John James Kilabuk, Andrew Muckpah, Naisana Eecheak, Danny Taqtu, Apak Taqtu and Norman Kipsigak.
