Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Oct 26/05) - A Rankin Inlet man is home safe and sound after spending more than three days on the land.

Moses Irnirjuk, 28, left Rankin Inlet on Oct. 16 to do a bit of ptarmigan hunting near the Meliadine River.

He was lightly outfitted for what was only to be a day trip.

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

Cpl. Mike Lokken of the Rankin Inlet detachment of the RCMP said SAR missions are a joint effort between local volunteers and the RCMP.

He said the ground search is usually left to the more-knowledgeable SAR members, while the RCMP co-ordinate the air search.

"The Rankin SAR deserves most of the credit for the successful conclusion to this search," said Lokken.

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

Coun. David Ningeongan began helping SAR co-ordinate its activities two days into the search.

He said the turning point in the search was the discovery of Irnirjuk's tracks.

"Where he was ptarmigan hunting is a fairly popular hunting spot, but it's a very rough and rocky area," said Ningeongan.

"When the SAR members found those tracks, they knew the odds were very good they were Moses' (Irnirjuk).

"His machine was wet when they found him at the cabin, so they had to work on that before returning.

"From the information I have,

"I would say he got disoriented in the bad weather and followed the wrong trail."