Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Oct 28/05) - A one-day ptarmigan hunting trip turned into a three-day stay on the land for a Rankin Inlet man earlier this month.

Moses Irnirjuk, 28, left Rankin Inlet on Oct. 16 heading towards the Meliadine River.

Bad weather moved into the region quickly and when Irnirjuk failed to return home, Rankin Inlet search-and-rescue (SAR) volunteers and the RCMP were notified.

Fog hampered the first two days of the search.

Although a Kivalliq Air plane was used for about four hours, a Canadian Forces Hercules plane was forced to abandon its search attempts, leaving the task to SAR ground searchers on Oct. 18.

Irnirjuk was located in a small cabin on the north end of Dianne Lake, about 40 kilometres outside of Rankin Inlet, on Oct. 19, and was helped back to Rankin by SAR members.

Irnirjuk had been without food for about a day, but was in good health.

"The Rankin SAR deserves most of the credit for the successful conclusion to this search," said Cpl. Mike Lokken of the Rankin Inlet RCMP detachment.

"It was a long way between where he was last seen past the elders' cabin to where he was found."