Inuvik (May 16/05) - An early morning joyride turned deadly for a young Inuvik man Friday, when the snowmobile he was "skipping" fell into the water, taking him and a friend with it.

The passenger was unharmed, but the driver of the stolen snow machine slipped under the waters of the icy Mackenzie River before his friends could get to him.

Police would not release the man's name Friday, however, friends and family confirmed the deceased is Marshall Sayers, originally of Aklavik.

The 21-year-old fell in near the Inuvik boat dock at approximately 5:45 a.m. His body was recovered later that afternoon, not far from where it went into the water.

According to police, Sayers and a friend had been travelling from the shoreline across 20 feet of open water to the ice in the middle of the river, a stunt known as "skipping," when the snowmobile began to wobble and submerge just before they hit the ice sheet.

Three other friends - two females and one male - who had been snowmobiling up and down the river with Sayers, witnessed the accident and managed to reach the scene in time to save the male passenger.

Sayers had already gone under the water by that point.

"This thing is awful," said Khalid Ali, owner of the Index store, who has known Sayers for several years.

"He was a good kid. I never saw him have a problem with anybody."

Shock

"I left them and just went home, fell asleep and when I woke up this morning my mom told me Marshall had passed away," said Waylon Storr, a lifelong friend who left the gathering shortly before the incident occurred.

"I didn't think they'd really do it, steal those Ski-Doos and go for a ride."

The snowmobiles had been parked by an unknown owner on the river ice with the keys in the ignition.

Due to the traumatic events, police do not plan to lay charges against Sayers' friends who were at the scene.

"The kids learned a valuable lesson here today, I would hope," said Cpl. Merle Carpenter of the Inuvik RCMP.

The witnesses were forthright with RCMP, saying they had been drinking prior to the accident.

"Two were sober," said Carpenter. "But we can't determine if he (Sayers) was until we get the body. He may have been."

By early morning, members of Inuvik Search and Rescue, Fisheries and Oceans, Canadian Helicopters and the Department of Renewable Resources and Economic Development were involved in the search, in partnership with the Inuvik RCMP.

Police received a call from a passerby shortly after the snowmobile went into the water.

"We had two certified divers onsite but they were unable to go in (earlier in the day), the water was too murky," said Carpenter.

As of Friday afternoon, the snowmobile had not been recovered.

Athletic, well liked

Having moved to Inuvik more than five years ago for school, Sayers was an athlete who seemed to get along with all of his contemporaries, said Storr.

"He liked to hang out with his friends a lot and he was always really athletic."

During his years at Samuel Hearne secondary school, he played on the soccer team and though he hasn't attended the school since 2002, he is well remembered.

"He had a large number of friends and was liked well by the people at the school," said principal David Reid.

"As a person he was friendly, loved to joke and was very easy to get along with."

The school counsellor plans to offer support and services to students who knew Sayers and need help with their grief.

Lesson for all

"Don't go skipping," said Storr, noting that it may seem like fun but it is a dangerous activity.

Carpenter couldn't say whether the Fire Department issues ice thickness warnings, but he did say it's simply a time of year when people have to be careful, noting that a similar incident occurred two years ago.

"We had a kid last night fall through," Carpenter said.

"He was playing and throwing rocks with his dad by the shore and fell in."

Fortunately, the father was able to pull the boy out unharmed.

The investigation into the fatal snowmobiling incident is continuing.