Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 10/01) - A longtime Yellowknife educator drowned in a boating accident over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Terry Patrick Bradley, 60, was travelling from his cabin to a friend's on Narcisse Lake, 48 kilometres north of Yellowknife, in a small aluminum boat Oct. 6.

It was a windy day and Bradley was not wearing a lifejacket, according to NWT chief coroner Percy Kinney.

The coroner's office is still investigating the death but an autopsy confirmed Bradley died due to drowning.

"He was alone on the boat and the water may have been choppy," Kinney said.

Bradley's friend found him submerged just below the surface of the cold water.

"The other guy just happened to be on a high rock making a cell-phone call and noted his friend's boat just travelling in circles," Kinney added.

After that the friend jumped in his own boat and headed toward the scene.

It is thought Bradley had been in the water for a matter of minutes.

Bradley moved to Yellowknife from Ontario in 1991. He worked as principal of J.H. Sissons school and Ecole Allain St. Cyr from that time until his retirement in June 2000.

Bradley was superintendent of the commission scholaire francophone de division when he died.