Stephanie McDonald
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 5, 2007

KUGLUKTUK - Tragedy struck Kugluktuk when the snowmobile driven by Mary Jean Hopkins and her husband Jeffrey went through the ice on the Coppermine River on Oct. 27. at approximately 7:30 p.m.

"They became disoriented and went off the trail and subsequently broke through the ice on a thin part of the river," RCMP Sgt. Chris Bewsher said.

There was blowing snow that night and the temperature with windchill hovered at around -20 C.

Jeff struggled to get himself out of the water and then attempted to rescue his wife without success.

He spent six hours crawling back to the community on his hands and knees, as he could not walk due to the onset of hypothermia. When the community was finally in sight, Jeff called out for help.

It was these cries that resident R.J. Kusmack heard at 1:30 a.m. while outdoors to start up his snow machine to travel home after visiting with a friend. Kusmack raced out to the man he later learned was his friend Jeff, lifted him onto his machine, and rushed him to the nurse's station.

Jeff's Canada Goose parka, snow pants, and boots had to be cut off. He was medevaced to Edmonton where last week he was having surgery on his frostbitten hands and feet.

RCMP co-ordinated a search early the next morning and volunteer search and rescue members recovered Mary Jean's body within three hours.

Mary Jean, who grew up in Kugluktuk, had lived with her husband in Iqaluit for 15 years. A year and a half ago they made the decision to move home.

Her brother drowned in the Coppermine River in the spring of 2006 and her mother had also recently died. Mary Jean, 43, had wanted to be home to be with her father, family members said.

"She'd been away from home for so long and she had finally come home," Mary Jean's cousin Helen Tologanak said. "She was very happy to be back home from Iqaluit."

Mary Jean and Jeffrey had adopted one of her brother's triplet girls, now three years old, who she spent a great deal of time with. She had two daughters and two sons.

"Her smile was so inviting. She was always so happy," Tologanak said. She described Mary Jean's smile as "infectious."

Mary Jean worked as the outreach co-ordinator, land claims implementation, with the Department of Community and Government Services (CGS).

"I could always tell when she was here, because she'd be laughing down the hall," said Bob Chapple, senior manager of planning and lands with CGS.