David Pisurayak Kootook, MSC, (13 August 1958 – 1 December 1972) was an

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...

boy from Spence Bay,

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

(now

Nunavut Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...

) who helped save the life of bush pilot Marten Hartwell after a crash in the

Canadian Arctic Northern Canada, colloquially the North or the Territories, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories and N ...

. Kootook died after 23 days, and was posthumously awarded the

Meritorious Service Cross The Meritorious Service Cross (french: Croix du service méritoire) is a decoration that is, within the Canadian system of honours, one of the two Meritorious Service Decorations gifted by the Canadian monarch, his or her Governor-in-Council. Cr ...

The crash

Kootook had

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a rup ...

and was being medically evacuated from

Cambridge Bay Cambridge Bay (Inuinnaqtun: ''Iqaluktuuttiaq'' Inuktitut: ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᖅ; 2021 population 1,760; population centre 1,403) is a hamlet located on Victoria Island in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut, Canada. It is the largest settl ...

for treatment. The plane hit a hill near Hottah Lake, just south of

Great Bear Lake Great Bear Lake ( den, Sahtú; french: Grand lac de l'Ours) is a lake in the boreal forest of Canada. It is the largest lake entirely in Canada (Lake Superior and Lake Huron are larger but straddle the Canada–US border), the fourth-largest ...

and northwest of

Yellowknife Yellowknife (; Dogrib: ) is the capital, largest community, and only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the ...

. Both Kootook and Marten survived the crash, but the two other people on board, a pregnant Inuit woman and a nurse attending them, died. Hartwell, the pilot, broke both ankles as a result of the impact and was therefore immobile. The temperature was as low as -40 °C (-40 °F). Kootook, 14 years old at the time, built a shelter for both of them, lit and tended a fire, and found food for himself and the pilot. Hartwell eventually ate the flesh of a deceased passenger, but Kootook declined and died of starvation after 23 days. In an inquiry, doctors determined he would have survived if he had not used all his energy for his heroic efforts. Hartwell was rescued by the Canadian military a week later.

Memorials and legacy

The story of the crash and the following events were written about in Edmonton author

Peter Tadman Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

's book ''The Survivor''. The Meritorious Service Cross was awarded to Kootook's family in 1994, 22 years after his death, for his efforts to save Hartwell's life. The honour is awarded for "a deed or an activity that has been performed in an outstandingly professional manner, or with uncommonly high standards." In 1998, Kootook was honoured by the

Northern Transportation Company Marine Transportation Services (MTS) formerly Northern Transportation Company Limited (NTCL) is a marine transportation company operating primarily in the Mackenzie River watershed of the Northwest Territories and northern Alberta, and the Arc ...

by having a ship named after him. There is also a memorial

Inuksuk An inuksuk (plural inuksuit) or inukshuk (from the iu, ᐃᓄᒃᓱᒃ, plural ; alternatively in Inuinnaqtun, in Iñupiaq, in Greenlandic) is a type of stone landmark or cairn built by, and for the use of, Inuit, Iñupiat, Kalaallit, Yupi ...

in honour of Kootook in

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kootook, David 1958 births 1972 deaths Recipients of the Meritorious Service Decoration Inuit from the Northwest Territories People from Taloyoak