A Norwegian hiker, who RCMP says he lost one of his two dogs for a wolf attack, is missing in Northern Manitoba and a total search is underway.
Steffen Skjottelvik, 29, left Fort Severn, Ontario, on foot on July 25 with his two dogs and the intention of reaching York Factory, Man., On August 15, a distance of more than 300 kilometers.
He did not appear, but one of his dogs did.
Manitoba RCMP says that the contact was made with him on August 13, when he arrived at the Nanuk camp, about 40 kilometers east of the York factory, and declared that he had lost one of his dogs on the trip.
The man made contact with York Factory on August 14, stating that his expected arrival time would have been on the 15th, said RCMP spokesman sergeant. Paul Manaigre.
“One of the dogs, belonging to the missing traveler, arrived at the York factory, but another dog had been lost before on his walk due to a wolf attack,” Manaigre told CBC News on Monday.
On Skjottelvik’s Facebook page, a Fort Severn woman has published images of a skinny Husky who wandered the community on Monday. The people there believe that he is the one that Skjottelvik thought he had been killed.
According to another Facebook page, Steffen’s great Canadian trip, Skjottelvik’s goal was to travel from James Bay to Alaska.
The missing man is an experienced Norwegian desert traveler, according to the information provided to the police, but Manaigre said that the land and wildlife in the area where he was traveling is extremely treacherous.
“The detachment commander has spoken with people in that area, and in his words, he said in a realistic way that there are only several people in the world who could probably make that walk, only due to how dangerous it is,” said Managre.
“It’s not for someone to go up and walk.”
‘This search must be performed by experts’
Manaigre said that the ground in the area is swampy and very soft at the points that people often sank with knees or waist while trying to travel over him.
It is also known that the area along the coast of Hudson Bay is populated by polar and wolves, and that water levels fluctuate because the tide comes out and leaves Hudson Bay, he said.
Manaigre said that search and rescue efforts will be difficult.
“I suppose the main thing here is because this land is extremely difficult, this search must be performed by experts,” he said.
“Those are generally people who are familiar with that area.”
A brief search has been carried out involving local guides from the area. A Fort Severn helicopter also attended to help local guides, Manaigre said.
The patrols by boat and helicopter have invented and lowering the Hayes river without success at this time, he added.
The Canadian Rangers and the conservation of Manitoba are flying on Monday to join the search, Manaigre said. A Gillam guide, which is very familiar with the area, will go on a boat to help too.
In addition, a Gillam RCMP officer will go with a drone to provide aerial coverage.
Due to the terrain, Manaigre said that much of the search will be carried out through airplanes, ships and drones.
“The resources are in that area … during the next few days, doing what they can,” he said.
“I hope we have some updates within the next day or two.”
The Norwegian hiker Steffen Skjottelvik was supposed to travel with his two dogs from the southern end of Hudson Bay to Alaska. But when a dog appeared alone in the next control point of Northern Manitoba, and the hiker lost his arrival date, the concern was established. Now you are looking for a search to find it.
