Lynn Lau
Northern News Services

Inuvik (May 27/02) - A 29-year-old Inuvik man drowned Wednesday after his snowmobile went through the ice on the Mackenzie River East Channel about eight kilometres north of town.

The man was heading out goose hunting with four friends when the accident happened shortly before 4 p.m.

One of the party had a cell phone and called for help, but according to a police news release, poor ice conditions hampered rescue efforts.

Police did not release the victim's name but acquaintances identified the dead man as Roderick Qaliaq Simon.

Rescuers tried unsuccessfully for several hours to get Simon out of the water. It wasn't until 7:45 p.m. that his body was retrieved by three local men who had heard of the accident and gone out to assist.

Hans Lennie, co-owner of a local snowmobile shop, heard of the accident and he went out with his partner, James Day, and friend Gordon Kasook to see if they could help.

The men used a snowmobile to skim over the open water, dragging a boat onto the stronger ice in the middle of the river, Lennie said. He said the river was still strong enough for snowmobile travel, but Simon had just hit a bad patch of candle ice.

Day said the death was hard on everyone because Simon was a close friend and was always coming around the shop to have coffee and chat.

"He was a nice kid -- a good boy," Day said. "He was born on the land and he stayed out there when he was young."

Simon was married to Erin Simon, and the couple had three young children.

He was raised by his late grandparents, Isaac and Sadie Simon, and he took care of them in their old age, friends say.

He had been working at the Esso service station, and just recently started a new job at the airport.

Family friend Gordon Campbell said Simon was always friendly and he loved to go out on the land. "Why he went out on that day I don't know," Campbell said, shaking his head. "His father-in-law just came in the day before and said it wasn't safe to travel."