'He's alive': man tells gut-wrenching story
Muskox hunter recalls blizzard that left Rankin Inlet man seriously injured
Laura Busch
Northern News Services
Published Monday, March 3, 2014
KANGIQLINIQ/RANKIN INLET
A Rankin Inlet man was recovering in hospital Feb. 27 in Winnipeg after getting caught in a blizzard while hunting near his community.
Gavin Gee of Rankin Inlet was still recovering in a Winnipeg hospital Feb. 27 after getting caught in a blizzard while hunting muskox. He left Rankin Feb. 6 and was found by a search and rescue team early in the morning Feb. 10. - NNSL file photo |
Gavin Gee and Ford Widrig were well stocked as they headed out of the community on Feb. 6 in search of muskox.
Before leaving, they let others know that they were headed northwest towards Peter Lake and expected to be back Feb. 7 or Feb. 8 at the latest.
After spending the first night in a cabin, the pair came across a herd of about 30 or 40 muskox, said Widrig. He dropped a bull and the herd took off. As Widrig was skinning his animal, Gee followed the herd. This was the last time Widrig would see his friend until he visited him weeks later in hospital.
While he was uncomfortable discussing what Gee has since told him about what happened next, Widrig did say Gee shot a muskox of his own and butchered it before the weather made a turn for the worse.
As winds picked up, Widrig stopped skinning his own animal and built a shelter using his qamutik, a canvas tarp and snow blocks, thinking the blizzard would blow over by the following day. As he went into his shelter, he grabbed the liver of the muskox to have something to eat while he waited.
"At that point, I had no idea where Gavin was," said Widrig.
This was the pair's second winter hunting trip and Widrig's first overnight stay on the land in the winter.
"I'm just really thankful for the advice and some of the equipment people gave me before we went out," Widrig said, crediting a loaned parka with helping him get through the cold days to follow.
The storm did not let up on Feb. 8, which was recorded at -50 C in Rankin. As he waited, Widrig said he tried to keep himself busy with little things like improving the shelter, wiggling his fingers and toes and starting his snowmobile so he would be ready to go as soon as the weather improved.
"I was just laying there, trying to keep busy," he said. "Just trying to keep calm, I guess."
The weather finally cleared at sunrise on Feb. 9, and Widrig went out on his machine to try to find Gee. When he couldn't locate him, he headed back to Rankin.
"I think I lost about 10 pounds. I got off lucky," said Widrig, adding he sustained mild frostbite in his fingers and toes.
Widrig made it back to Rankin between 1 and 2 p.m. on Feb. 9 and immediately contacted search and rescue, who had been out since noon the day before, but had been looking near Peter Lake, which the pair never reached.
With the co-ordinates from the last place Widrig saw Gee, the search and rescue team located the lost hunter at 3:15 a.m. Feb. 10.
Again, Widrig did not feel comfortable disclosing the details of his friend's condition, out of respect for Gee and his family, but he did say that Gee was in "bad shape" when he was found.
Gee was still not out of the woods on Feb. 27, when Widrig spoke with Nunavut News/North, and Gee required surgery to deal with some of his injuries.
"He's alive. He's going to be fine in that way," said Widrig. "He's going to get to see his boy grow up. He's really thankful for that."
Originally from Cape Breton, Gee has made Rankin his home and has been actively involved in helping to improve his community.
On March 1, Rankin residents celebrated the opening of the first full-sized gym available in the community for years.
The project was spearheaded by Gee, Widrig and Evan Morrison after the most recent workout space - a converted college dorm room - was closed about two years ago.
"Gavin, Ford and I just wanted a gym to work out in," said Morrison of how the project started. "Sometimes if you want to do something here, you have to do it yourself."
The trio also saw the new gym as something that could have a healthy impact on the lives of many residents, from young people with little to do to elders who perhaps weren't as comfortable exercising in the small weight room available before.
The not-for-profit gym will employ four land claims beneficiaries, all in their early 20s, some of whom are students and some of whom are not currently working.
"For Gavin not to be there, it really sucks. I know this is something he would want to see," said Morrison. "He is one of the main contributors to this cause, but there is going to be a gym here waiting for him when he gets back."
When Widrig visited Gee in hospital earlier this month, he said his friend was in good spirits and was keeping a positive outlook - because things could have turned out much worse.
As for whether he will head back out on the land, Widrig didn't hesitate.
"Yeah, absolutely. There's a few guys here who I really respect, who are way more experienced guys than I'll ever be. One thing they keep saying is never let it discourage you," he said.
"I would just ask any of the readers out there who know Gavin, or even who don't, just to say a little prayer. I'm just glad we made it back until we go out again."
