WAWAKAPEWIN FIRST NATION, Ont. — The Canadian Rangers have participated in two search and rescue missions in Northwestern Ontario over the Christmas period.
One involved a stranded snowmobiler from Wawakapewin First Nation, 600 kilometres north of Thunder Bay.
A spokesperson for the 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol says the man set out on Christmas Day to snowmobile to another community, 175 kilometres away, but failed to arrive.
After OPP were notified, police requested help from the Rangers.
Master Corporal Dwayne Brown teamed up with a civilian volunteer, Bobby McKay, to begin a search.
They found the overdue traveller had got his machine stuck in slush on a creek, but the two rescuers got their own snowmobiles stuck as well, and had to radio for assistance.
Sergeant Spencer Anderson and Master Corporal Orion Ryan then snowmobiled south from Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation to help them, however when they arrived they found the trio had already freed their machines from the slush.
The second search involved a member of Long Lake No. 58 First Nation, who was last seen mid-day on Wednesday at a local store as he was preparing to snowmobile to Geraldton.
A major snowstorm was hitting the area at the time.
OPP have not issued a statement about the incident as yet, but Rangers spokesperson Sergeant Peter Moon says Rangers and volunteers from Long Lake 58, aided by a helicopter, searched for the man on Christmas Day, and were scheduled to resume the search on Boxing Day.
Moon said the person was spotted that day from the helicopter, at a location about 10 kilometres from the First Nation.
He was reported to have suffered frostbite.
