Teens survive 4 days lost on frozen tundra
Rescuers found 15-year-old Isajah "Willie" Nastapoka huddled in a snow den he'd dug.
February 15th, 2011
10:58 AM ET

Teens survive 4 days lost on frozen tundra

Two boys have been rescued after being lost in the subarctic wilderness for four days, Canadian media report.

Isajah "Willie" Nastapoka, 15, and Kasudluak Kasudluak, 17, became separated while on a day trip to hunt polar bear, the CBC reported.

Their snowmobile ran out of gas about 19 miles outside Inukjuak, their Inuit village, which is just 7 degrees south of the Arctic Circle in far northern Quebec, authorities said. They had little water or food, and the temperature plunged to 30 below zero Fahrenheit, with a wind chill factor of 50 below, according to a Nunatsiaq News story in the Montreal Gazette.

The boys became separated on their third night on the tundra. Kasudluak kept walking, but Isajah dug a hole in the snow to protect himself from the wind and cold, according to reports.

Airborne searchers found the abandoned snowmobile and commenced a ground search. They found Isajah in his snow den on the fourth day, alive but suffering from severe hypothermia and frostbite. Kasudluak was found a few hours later, still walking and with minor injuries.

Isajah was flown to a hospital in Montreal, where he may lose several toes because of the frostbite, reports said.

"Nobody was expecting to find them alive," Simeonie Nalukturuk, a local who participated in the search, told the Toronto Star. "But we did."

 Post by:
Filed under: Bears • Canada • Winter weather • World
soundoff (45 Responses)
  1. RUFFNUTT

    some how i feel toyota is somehow to blame for this..

    February 15, 2011 at 4:58 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Font

    Thats what happens when you HUNT animals that you should just leave alone!

    February 15, 2011 at 7:32 pm | Report abuse |
    • shush your bush

      spare me baking powder.

      February 15, 2011 at 9:30 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mary Inukpuk

      FROT. you don't really know are curture is, your just jelous because wee can kill animals because its our foods you know what i mean

      June 28, 2011 at 12:36 am | Report abuse |
  3. as350ba

    If i was stuck in a snow den at 30-50 below for 4 days you can bet i would enjoy a couple belts of good old nummy houch. Put a smile on my frozen face!!

    February 15, 2011 at 9:00 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mary Inukpuk

      What you would really do when your really lost? COLD DIED they are eskimos and your NOT! and if you lost on jan, thats would be more cold -35 you should really try it

      June 28, 2011 at 12:39 am | Report abuse |
    • Carol

      If you live down south where it doesn't get snow you never know how it feels to be cold... Nunavik and states aren't the same... getting lost out in the tundra without worm stuff would kill you right away. 4 days in the cold tundra you wouldn't survive from the cold. White people and Inuit people are not the same...

      November 3, 2012 at 4:03 pm | Report abuse |
  4. walks with stupid

    they sneak up on polar bears and beat them to death with baby seals, then enjoy some tax-free alcohol and tobacco. must be nice.

    February 15, 2011 at 9:57 pm | Report abuse |
    • canadamiuk

      the inuit are pay the higest tax in canada, provincially &f ederally

      February 16, 2011 at 5:34 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mary Inukpuk

      Whos this? talking lies

      June 28, 2011 at 12:41 am | Report abuse |
  5. zoe

    The earth will go into a deep freeze before it starts its warming phase. Also, we never went to the moon. So..there's that.

    February 15, 2011 at 10:15 pm | Report abuse |
  6. RUFFNUTT

    i got a baseball bat and i'm saveing up for a trip to alaska to club some seals... i been practicing on mice and rats... im going to work on cats next.. ( i think the neigbors cat is up to something) anyways pretty soon i be ready to club those seals and make a pair of boots and a shifter knob for my camaro..

    February 15, 2011 at 11:29 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Suzy Nameth

    The "Green Bay Packers" play on the frozen tundra... .

    February 16, 2011 at 12:13 am | Report abuse |
  8. azbearhuntr

    I am eating Polar bear stuffed with baby seal...downright amazing. Has anyone seen my condor burger?

    February 17, 2011 at 1:38 pm | Report abuse |
  9. eddy

    my lil bro and my couson thay were loss there way back home eddy2011@live.ca <add this <

    February 22, 2011 at 3:43 am | Report abuse |
1 2
« Back to main