(Peawanuck, ON) – A missing 82-year-old Moosonee Elder is safe after undertaking a five-hour walk along the ice road when his snowmobile became stuck in the melting snow Wednesday.
Members of the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service working out of the Peawanuck First Nation detachment received a call for service regarding a missing elder from Moosonee just before 10 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1.
Police learned the 82-year-old man, who had been visiting the community of Peawanuck, departed to his hunting shelter, which was situated parallel to the winter ice road. He was scheduled to return by 6 p.m., but failed to report back in.
A community search team was formed and began attempts to locate him. Meanwhile, NAPS officers began a formal missing person investigation. Thankfully, search efforts led to the safe return of the elder.
Police learned the elder’s snow machine became stuck in a river that intersected with the melting winter ice road. Realizing it would be impossible to retrieve the snowmobile, the elder gathered some essentials and began his five-hour trek back to the community.
The search party located him and returned him to Peawanuck just before midnight.
Despite the ordeal, the elder was in good spirits and did not require further medical attention.
NAPS would like to remind the public how important it is to ensure that friends and family are made aware of your travel plans, especially when that travel may take you to isolated and remote locations.
Make sure people know where you are going, and exactly when you expect to return. By sharing this information, people are in the best position to provide help where and when you need it most.
We would like to commend the elder for sharing this vital information with family, and thank the community search and rescue team for their quick mobilization.