TUKTOYAKTUK
Police confirmed a Tuktoyaktuk man died after a Bombardier snow cat he was in plunged through the ice on Nov. 16.
The 69-year-old man has been identified by the RCMP as Ronald Keith Carothers.
"We received a complaint of someone going through the ice at 2:15 the afternoon of the 16th," said Yellowknife RCMP Cpl. Barry Ledoux.
Divers were then brought in to help with the search. Carothers' body was recovered near the snow cat on Nov. 19, said Ledoux.
The incident occurred about 100 metres offshore.
The man was the only occupant in the vehicle, a Bombardier BR180, the RCMP stated.
According to manufacturer Bombardier, the BR180 weighs 3,150 to 3,310 kilograms.
It is not known what Carothers was doing in the area at the time of the incident.
"That part of the investigation is still ongoing," said Ledoux.
An autopsy has been ordered to confirm the cause of death.
Ledoux could not confirm the thickness of the ice at the time the incident, but did say the vehicle is still in the water and will remain there until the ice conditions are safe enough for its removal.
Police are asking people to check with local authorities about ice thickness before venturing out onto the ice, and to stay away from ice that is on or near moving water.
