An Aklavik man who was missing for close to a week was found alive and well.
After a search and rescue operation spanning two days, the injured man was returned to Aklavik from the northern Mackenzie Delta.
The man reportedly left Aklavik alone in a small fishing boat headed for Inuvik on June 8th, but ran out of gas.
RCMP say he made a distress call to the Canadian Coast Guard – Marine Transport Communications Center who then contacted the Aklavik RCMP detachment to organize his rescue.
They maintained radio contact with him throughout the night and teams of local search and rescue volunteers and the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary from Inuvik patrolled the delta overnight.
On the morning of June 9th, two spotters from Aklavik boarded a chartered helicopter and located the missing man in a lake off of the Leland Channel, stuck to a pile of driftwood.
He was brought back to Aklavik and taken immediately to the local Health Centre. He was then escorted on a commercial flight to Inuvik, where he received further medical care.
Aklavik RCMP Detachment Commander Cpl Chris Whynot says the coordinated efforts of the agencies that assist in an RCMP organized Search and Rescue allows for them to report the person was located and rescued and provided medical information.
