The backpack of a Norwegian trekker has been found near a fast-moving river in a remote coastal area of northern Manitoba that’s home to polar bears and wolves.
Canadian police have notified the family of Steffen Skjottelvik, 29, that his bag was recovered near the Hayes River, where crews have focused search efforts in recent days — the same area where GPS co-ordinates placed the missing 29-year-old.
“Family was just informed about this backpack being found, and the consequence is that the search and rescue will be increased in numbers and effort,” Christian Dyresen, the family spokesperson, told CBC News from Norway on Thursday afternoon.
“The family will keep on working to fundraise [for] more boats and helicopters and more crew on the grounds.”
Skjottelvik was last heard from one week ago, on Aug. 14. He checked in to say he planned to arrive in York Factory, Man., the next day, though he never arrived.
A volunteer crew from Fort Severn First Nation in northern Ontario led efforts on the ground for nearly three days beginning on Sunday. They were forced to pull out due to mounting helicopter rental costs, which hit the $70,000 range for those first days.
Fort Severn Chief Matthew Kakekaspan said three searchers from his community headed back with a helicopter pilot Thursday morning after securing more funding through donations.
Skjottelvik spent time with one of the men in that crew and designated him as an emergency contact in the days before he left on foot from Fort Severn on July 25, the chief said. He hoped to arrive in York Factory, 300 kilometres away, by Aug. 15.
“It’s pretty emotional for the group that’s carrying out the work,” Kakekaspan told CBC News on Thursday afternoon from Sioux Lookout First Nation.
Kakekaspan said the group is glad to head back thanks to public donations that are helping the First Nation recoup some helicopter rental costs. They hope to raise $100,000 so they can keep searching for another four days.
There are various Canadian and Norwegian fundraisers going on. Dyresen said two fundraisers in Norway have raised nearly $1 million Norwegian kroner, which is about $134,000 Cdn.
An RCMP officer arrived in York Factory Monday and flew a thermal imaging drone near where Skjottelvik was suspected to have last been near the Hayes River. In the days since, RCMP have obtained GPS data that put him near the Hayes late Thursday afternoon last week.
An RCMP spokesperson said Wednesday night that the police force was working on sending a few more officers up to search the Hayes River area, to complement efforts of Manitoba Conservation and volunteers from Gillam, Man., and Fort Severn who know the area.
The area between Fort Severn and York Factor is treacherous, consisting of soggy muskeg peat lands that are home to polar bears and wolves.
In the days before he went missing, RCMP say Skjottelvik suggested he lost one of his two dogs in a wolf attack. Someone from Fort Severn posted an image on Facebook of a gaunt husky resembling one of Skjottelvik’s dogs, saying it wandered into the community Monday.
Police and family have described Skjottelvik as an experienced wilderness traveller in Norway who had been planning a trek from James Bay to Alaska for years.
He has been documenting his travel on a Facebook account dubbed Steffen’s Great Canadian Journey.
Dyresen said family and a range of other members of the public are doing what they can to raise awareness and funds to bolster the search efforts in the coming days.
“The main focus of the family right now is to make sure that Canadian police and officials are doing what they can … and the volunteers to make sure that they have as many people out there looking for Steffen,” he said.
