‘I want to hold out hope’: RCMP continues northern Manitoba search for Norwegian hiker

Manitoba RCMP say they’re still actively searching for Steffen Skjottelvik, a hiker from Norway who was trekking through the northern part of the province when he disappeared.

Sgt. Paul Manaigre told Global Winnipeg that Skjottelvik was last heard from a week ago, when he used a GPS device to contact people in York Factory, his apparent destination — but the radio silence and the harsh terrain have been cause for serious concern.

“We still have resources in play, with some officers up there,” Manaigre said. “Search is, at this point, primarily by boat.

“I want to hold out hope that we can find him, but in reality, it’s becoming more search and recovery aspect at this point.

“We’re looking at a week now that he hasn’t made contact with anyone, so we have to assume, at this point, the worst.”

The 29-year-old set out on foot last month, along with his two dogs, starting from Fort Severn, Ont.

Manaigre said Skjottelvik had told people in York Factory that he believed one of the dogs had been attacked by a wolf, but had no further details on the state of the dog or whether it was still with Skjottelvik at that time. A dog that may have belonged to him was reportedly found, he said, but police have yet to confirm those reports.

“We need to find something — ideally, we want to find him, we want to find evidence as to what happened,” Manaigre said.

“This environment, up north, the conditions are crazy … the wilderness, the territory, it’s tough. There’s concerns with polar bears, there’s wolves … it’s just not a pleasant environment.”

The fact that Skjottelvik was able to travel all the way from Fort Severn to, presumably, within a few kilometres of York Factory is a testament to his skill in an unforgiving environment, Manaigre said.

More RCMP officers are headed to the region Thursday to continue the search.




Click to play video: Locals, police searching remote Manitoba wilderness for Norwegian trekker

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