ARVIAT/CHESTERFIELD INLET - While the killer storm that raged across the Kivalliq region earlier this week claimed the life of an Arviat man, a Chesterfield Inlet elder escaped its massive fury.

Louis Autut is seen here in a kayak during the 2007 Kivalliq Science Culture Camp at Third Lake near Chesterfield Inlet - photo courtesy of Glen Brocklebank -

Cliff Shamee, 24, was trying to get to a grocery store in Arviat when he became disoriented in the weather.

The winds were gusting at close to 90 km/h and the windchill had dropped to -45 C when Shamee tried to make it to the store.

His snowmobile was found outside of town later that evening, and searchers found his body about four kilometres southeast of Arviat shortly before 9 a.m. yesterday morning.

Elder found

The news was happier in Chesterfield Inlet when searchers on the ground found elder Louis Autut walking toward the general direction of the community at about 7:35 p.m. yesterday.

Continued bad weather following the blizzard had been hampering search-and-rescue efforts to locate Autut, 74.

The elder was taken to the community's health centre for frostbite treatment, but was reported to be in overall good health.

Autut and elder Joe Issaluk left Chester on Nov. 17 to retrieve a snowmobile that was stranded with a broken trailing arm, when they were overcome by the storm.

Issaluk made it back to town in good health after being separated from Autut.

The search for Autut was conducted on the land by Canadian Rangers and Chester search team members.

Cpl. Mario Turcotte of the Chesterfield Inlet RCMP said searchers went out looking for Autut at about 7:30 a.m. yesterday.

He said the searchers left as soon as the wind calmed down a bit, and never gave up in their attempts to locate Autut.

"Everyone is very, very happy, of course, that Mr. Autut was found and returned safely to the community," said Turcotte.