Woman rescued after snowmobile goes through ice in Tuk
Patrick Kuptana risks his own safety to rescue his own cousin; second-time cancer survivor involved in heroic act
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Monday, October 26, 2015
TUKTOYAKTUK
A Tuktoyaktuk man said he is not sure he is comfortable with being called a hero after rescuing a woman who had gone through the ice on her snowmobile in the community on Oct. 15.
Patrick Kuptana ventured onto thin ice to save his cousin on Oct. 15, 17 years after winning the Governor General's medal of bravery for another daring rescue. - photo courtesy of Terri Lee Kuptana |
Patrick Kuptana, 56, tied a rope around himself and went out on the ice to help save his own cousin, Violet Kikoak.
"I was out for a walk and my sister offered me a ride and I said, 'No thanks.' If I had taken that ride I wouldn't have been there for (Kikoak)," said Kuptana. "I saw her go through the ice and I just yelled, "Hold on, hold on" and ran into the Northern store as fast as I could. I yelled, 'I need rope and I need it right now.'"
Kuptana said Kikoak was probably 10 to 15 metres from shore when the ice gave way. A few people had gathered by the time he arrived back with the rope. One man tried to take the rope to her but he fell through the ice. They then tried to fasten a rock to the rope and throw it to her, Kuptana said.
"But I said, 'No, you could hit her in the head and she might go down.' So I took it upon myself and made a noose and wrapped it around myself and told those guys to hold on," Kuptana said. "I couldn't wrap the rope around her body because I didn't want her to lift both arms into the air or she would've gone down. So I put the rope around her arm and told those guys to pull like hell."
They got her out and she was taken to the nursing station where they checked her for hypothermia, but she was OK, Kuptana said.
"I crawled back to shore on my own. I just totally forgot about myself," he said. "The whole thing brought back bad memories of another incident where a person died."
In 1998, Kuptana and his brother Roland rescued a two-year-old boy after the snowmobile he and his 13-year-old brother were riding also went through the ice, not far from where the Oct. 15 mishap occurred. The teen died but the toddler survived because Kuptana held his head above water until Roland could grab the boy. Both Kuptanas received the Governor General's medal for bravery in 1999 for that rescue.
Patrick was diagnosed with cancer of the lymph nodes about three years ago. He said the chemotherapy and radiation treatment damaged his throat, making it difficult to swallow solid food. He admits he weighs less now and is not as strong as he once was.
"I never thought of that when I was headed out into the water though, I just wanted to get out there," he said. "I also didn't have time to think about what happened back in '98. But afterwards, then it really brought back memories. I'm still thinking about the other incident."
As much as ice and water is part of everyday life in Tuk, people have to be careful, Kuptana said.
"Ask the elders. They are the ones who know the ice conditions," he said.
