The body of a Norwegian trekker missing since Aug. 14 has been discovered, marking a tragic end to a more than week-long search and rescue effort in northern Manitoba.
RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Paul Manaigre said although it was not the outcome many hoped for, he hopes the discovery can bring some closure to the family. It also marks the end of one of the most difficult search and rescue missions ever conducted in Manitoba, Manaigre said, where there was a good chance the man’s body would never be found.
“This is an area where we easily could have never recovered him,” Manaigre said. “With the vast area, it could have been very easy for him to just disappear.
“I’m glad for the family’s sake that he can be brought home.”
On Sunday morning Gillam RCMP and Parks Canada, along with community searchers from Fort Severn, were searching the west side of the Hayes River for 29-year-old Steffen Skjottelvik, an RCMP news release said.
Police say a helicopter pilot told the search parties he believed he found the body of the missing hiker a short distance away from where his jacket had been located on Friday afternoon.
Gillam RCMP and Parks Canada officers, along with the community searchers from Fort Severn, went to the location and confirmed that the body recovered on shore was that of the missing Norwegian hiker.
His body was transported by helicopter to Gillam, Man., where it was then flown to Winnipeg. An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday morning.
Treacherous terrain
Skjottelvik left Fort Severn, Ont., on foot on July 25 with two dogs and planned to arrive in York Factory, Man., on Aug. 15 — a distance of more than 300 kilometres along the shore of Hudson Bay. He didn’t show up, but one of his dogs did, police said.
RCMP say contact was made with him on Aug. 13, when he arrived at Nanuk camp — about 40 kilometres east of York Factory — and stated that he had lost one of his dogs on the journey.
Skjottelvik made contact with York Factory on Aug. 14, stating his expected time of arrival there would be on Aug. 15, said RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Paul Manaigre.
Skjottelvik was an experienced Norwegian wilderness traveller, according to information supplied to police, but Manaigre said the terrain and wildlife in the area where he was travelling is known to be extremely treacherous.
“People have said there are only a few people that can do it on this planet,” Manaigre said about the man’s trek.
“The fact that he made it that far is just a testament to his skills.”
According to Manaigre, police believe the man was swept away while attempting to cross the Hayes River on his way to York Factory, and he said the man’s body was discovered not far from the community.
“It was a very short distance, and officers were there quite quickly,” he said.
Manaigre said the ground in the area where the search took place is boggy and so soft at points that people would often sink to their knees or waist while trying to travel on it.
The area along the Hudson Bay shoreline is also known to be populated by polar bears and wolves, and to have fluctuating water levels because of the tide coming in and going out from Hudson Bay, he said.
“I’ve been a police officer for nearly 30 years, involved with search and rescue for the last eight, and in my experience, this has probably been one of the hardest searches that has taken place in this province, just due to its location,” Manaigre said.
“It’s a tough search mentally, as well as physically due to the terrain and the dangers associated with wild animals, polar bears, wolves. You have to be armed in that area. There’s a lot of factors that come into play besides just searching.”
Manaigre said discovering Skjottelvik so close to York Factory only adds to the tragedy of the story.
“When you’re sinking up to your knees or your waist it’s painful, because you’re putting so much pressure on your legs and your back, and he was living off land, hunting and fishing for nearly a month, and almost made it.
“He was right there.”
Manaigre confirmed Manitoba RCMP officers have reached out to the man’s family.
‘Living his dream,’ family says
Christian Dyresen, spokesperson for the Skjottelvik family, said in a Sunday interview they are still waiting for details on how Skjottelvik died, but are relieved to put the search to an end.
He said Skjottelvik was “living his dream” by trekking in dangerous and uninhabited terrain in northern Manitoba, but also knew the dangers associated with what he was doing.
“He’s been aware of the risks and family have been talking to him about risks,” he said. “And they’ve also talked with Steffen about possible outcomes of this trip, bearing in mind all the significant risk that is in the area.”
The family now says they now hope people will remember Skjottelvik for the adventurous life he lived before his death.
Gillam RCMP said they would like to thank the community members from Fort Severn, and Parks Canada who assisted with this search.
