Man dies trying to skip snowmobile across the water in Northwest Territories: RCMP

An RCMP epaulette is seen in Edmonton, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

TUKTOYAKTUK — Mounties in the Northwest Territories say a man is dead after trying to skip a snowmobile across the water.

RCMP say it happened Wednesday in the Tuktoyaktuk area, located on the shores of the Arctic Ocean.

Police say two people were trying the skip their snowmobile across a section of the ocean when it sank.

They say multiple witnesses reported that one person swam to shore, but the other snowmobiler did not surface from the water.

About an hour after emergency crews arrive, RCMP say the body of a 32-year-old man was found about six metres from the submerged snowmobile.

Mounties say the coroner is also investigating the man’s death.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 2, 2026.

The Canadian Press