NATUASHISH, N.L. — What could have been a terrible tragedy was avoided on Wednesday when two young Innu who got lost on a snowmobile trip between Natuashish and Nain were found, relatively unharmed.
The cousins, Courage Nui and Dream Gregoire, had left Natuashish on short notice Tuesday afternoon and, according to their aunt Mary Ann Nui, gotten lost on the way back.
“I guess they wanted to come back to the community before dark and somehow, on the way back, they took the wrong trail. It took them more inland and they got lost.”
She said it was a very stressful night for the family once they discovered the young adults were missing, with family members mobilizing and taking the trip to Nain to see if they could find them. They found out the pair had been there and had headed back to Natuashish.
RCMP said they were informed of the missing snowmobilers at 3:30 a.m., and ground search and rescue teams from Nain and Hopedale were dispatched, as well as teams of searchers from Natuashish.
Nui said she wasn’t surprised the community and area mobilized so quickly to help with the search.
“People take it very seriously if someone in the community is missing. People respond to it right away,” she said.
Gregoire was found first, shortly before noon near Voisey’s Bay. Nui said the young woman had stayed with the snowmobile, while Courage Nui had left to walk to Natuashish for help.
He was found about an hour later by an Air Borealis aircraft that was sent to help with the search.
“When they found Dream first, it was good, but that was the hardest,” Nui, who is also the deputy chief of the Innu Nation, told SaltWire. “We were waiting for an update and when they found him, we were so relieved.”
Nui said she had feared the worst in the morning, and it had reminded her of past tragedies on the northern Labrador coast, including the death of Burton Winters.
Winters, 14, froze to death outside of Makkovik in 2012 when his snowmobile got stuck in sea ice. His death prompted an inquiry into ground search and rescue in the province that is currently in the beginning stages.
“Luckily for our family it wasn’t what happened, but I was thinking about it all morning,” she said. “I can’t imagine what his family felt.”
Nui said as far as she knows the pair were unharmed but exhausted, having stayed up all night before Courage left on foot at first light to get help. She said she can’t thank the searchers enough for the assistance and would like to especially thank Air Borealis, who quickly got on board to help.
Evan Careen is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering Labrador for SaltWire Network. [email protected] | Twitter: @evancareen
Earlier story
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Labrador say they have located Dream Gregoire and Courage Nui,two missing snowmobilers who left Natuashish on Tuesday afternoon, bound for Nain, but had not been seen since.
Police say they found the 19-year-old woman near Voisey's Bay. No information as to her condition was provided, though there are unconfirmed reports that she needed to be airlifted out.
A short time later, police found told the SaltWire Network that they had also located Nui.
No further details have been provided at this time.
Earlier story
A search is underway in northern Labrador for two youths who haven’t been seen since Tuesday afternoon. According to social media posts, Courage Nui, 22, and Dream Gregoire, 19, left Natuashish to go to Nain on snowmobile and have not been seen since.
A group of people left Natuashish last night to travel to Nain to look for them but did not find anything. The father of one of the missing teens posted they are driving a black Ski-Doo Summit 800R E-TEC 154 with no windshield and no light.
Mushuau Innu First Nation Band Council Chief John Nui posted on social media this morning that the youth had not yet been located and volunteers would be meeting at the fire hall to form two teams and plan.
“Anyone with information should come forward and let us know, or call RCMP or to anyone who you feel comfortable talking to,” Nui posted. “RCMP is following up with the calls they have received this morning, thank you.”
Good morning We are still haven’t been able to locate them yet,I’m asking the volunteers to meet at fire hall @9am to...
Posted by John Nui on Wednesday, February 24, 2021
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Natuashish says it was contacted about the missing youths early this morning. Currently the RCMP and Search and Ground Search and Rescue from Natuashish, Nain and Hopedale are searching for Nui and Gregoire.
