 | E-mail this story |  | Write letter to editor |  | Order a classified ad |  Print this page |
| | E-mail this story | | Write letter to editor | | Order a classified ad | Print this page |
|
Little hope of survival
Derek Neary
At a briefing for family members on June 23, police said they are withdrawing from the search for Fred Hardisty, 61, and David Horesay, 60. Residents of Fort Simpson and Wrigley continue to patrol the rugged terrain by boat and on foot, however. Const. Brad Parker called the case a riddle. After five days of searching, he said the RCMP's theory is that either Horesay or Hardisty was burned in a fuel-fed fire near the cabin. Perhaps in shock, the injured man eventually made his way to the river seeking relief from his burns, Parker surmised. The cold, swift current is thought to have swept him away, as well as his friend and, presumably, would-be rescuer. "We will never really know unless we speak with them," Const. Bruce Rice added. A rag stained with what's believed to be dried blood was found in the area. There was no other sign of blood, said Parker. Searchers turned up two shoes - one in the mud, the other in the bush - two ball caps, a pair of reading glasses and a pair of gloves. Two sets of footprints were discovered along the shore, but the searchers couldn't pick up a trail in the dense bush leading to the surrounding mountains. Some community members, still scouring the area, are planning to string a net across the mouth of the North Nahanni River in case either man's body surfaces, Parker said. Horesay and Hardisty, who both have extensive experience in the bush, left food, firearms and cigarettes in the cabin. One rifle had been taken out to a table beside a shed, where three shell casings were found. In the bush, three shots fired is a distress signal, Parker noted. Two smaller fires set on a gravel bar down-river could have been intended as signal fires following the emergency, he added. Fifteen family members sat silently, listening to the first 20 minutes of Parker's presentation at the cultural centre. Then they peppered him with questions. By the end of the briefing, more than a hour later, some of them were in tears. Joseph Horesay, David's younger brother, said too many questions remain unanswered. If there were an emergency, as the police are hypothesizing, why didn't the men paddle or drift away in the boat at the cabin, he asked. Why was the first aid kit unopened, he wondered. "Until we do find them, I'd like to say, 'Yes, they are still alive,'" Joseph said. "I can't give up on my brother because my brother was my idol." Dropped men off Rod Gunderson dropped Horesay and Hardisty off at his well-stocked cabin along the North Nahanni River, approximately 120 kms northwest of Fort Simpson, on June 12. He was supposed to return the next day, but fell ill. Four days later, Gunderson and some friends showed up by boat, but Horesay and Hardisty were gone. A fire was still smouldering in front of the cabin. Gunderson said he assumed that somebody brought the men back to Fort Simpson. He called his wife on a satellite phone to tell her about the blaze and asked her to check around town for Hardisty and Horesay. The police received a call about the fire and possible missing persons in the early hours of Friday morning, according to Parker. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources responded by chopper later on Friday. Parker boarded a helicopter for the North Nahanni on Saturday. A few local volunteers familiar with the mountainous area also went to the site. An initial search turned up a shoe and sock near a creek bed about four kilometres downstream from the cabin. Wolf and bear tracks were spotted nearby, but the men's footprints indicate they were walking, not fleeing, said Parker. Gunderson said Hardisty and Horesay had been working on his cabin for two to three-week stretches during the past five summers. "They called that home," he said. "They loved it out there."
|
