Manitoba·UpdatedRCMP spokesperson Sgt. Paul Manaigre said he hopes the discovery can bring some closure to the family. It also marks the end of one of the most difficult search and rescue missions ever conducted in Manitoba, Manaigre said, where there was a good chance the man’s body would never be found. Fort Severn First Nation, where Steffen Skjottelvik spent nearly a month, led searchDave Baxter · CBC News · Posted: Aug 24, 2025 5:23 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoSteffen Skjottelvik is seen in an undated Facebook image. He left Fort Severn, Ont., on foot on July 25 with his two dogs and the intention to arrive in York Factory, Man., on Aug. 15, but never made it. His body was discovered on Sunday. (Steffen Skjottelvik/Facebook)The body of a Norwegian trekker missing since Aug. 14 has been discovered, marking a tragic end to a more than week-long search and rescue effort in northern Manitoba. RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Paul Manaigre said although it was not the outcome many hoped for, he hopes the discovery can bring some closure to the family. It also marks the end of one of the most difficult search and rescue missions ever conducted in Manitoba, Manaigre said, where there was a good chance the man’s body would never be found. “This is an area where we easily could have never recovered him,” Manaigre said. “With the vast area, it could have been very easy for him to just disappear.”I’m glad for the family’s sake that he can be brought home.”On Sunday morning Gillam RCMP and Parks Canada, along with community searchers from Fort Severn, were searching the west side of the Hayes River for 29-year-old Steffen Skjottelvik, an RCMP news release said.Police say a helicopter pilot told the search parties he believed he found the body of the missing hiker a short distance away from where his jacket had been located on Friday afternoon.His body was transported by helicopter to Gillam, Man., where it was then flown to Winnipeg. An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday morning.A volunteer crew from Fort Severn First Nation in northern Ontario led search efforts on the ground for nearly three days beginning last 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.A pilot of a helicopter contracted by Fort Severn was the one who ultimately spotted Skjottelvik’s body on Sunday, according to RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Paul Manaigre.Manaigre thanked those from the First Nation who helped with the search, calling their efforts “extensive.” He added Skjottelvik had spent nearly a month in Fort Severn before continuing his trek toward York Factory, and people from the community were still looking out for him.”They were pretty much there from day one,” he said. “They came out last Sunday and were just highly involved.”Fort Severn First Nation resident and searcher Angus Miles posted many social media updates in the past week to keep Skjottelvik’s family and people he’d met along his journey informed, but declined to be interviewed. Gillam RCMP and Parks Canada officers, along with the community searchers from Fort Severn, went to the location shared by the pilot and confirmed that the body on shore was that of the missing Norwegian hiker.Treacherous terrainSkjottelvik left Fort Severn, Ont., on foot on July 25 with two dogs and planned to arrive in York Factory, Man., on Aug. 15 — a distance of more than 300 kilometres along the shore of Hudson Bay. He didn’t show up, but one of his dogs did, police said. RCMP say contact was made with him on Aug. 13, when he arrived at Nanuk camp — about 40 kilometres east of York Factory — and stated that he had lost one of his dogs on the journey.Skjottelvik made contact with York Factory on Aug. 14, stating his expected time of arrival there would be on Aug. 15, said RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Paul Manaigre.Officials with the Fort Albany First Nation released a Facebook post on Sunday, commemorating the life of Norwegian trekker Steffen Skjottelvik, whose body was discovered in northern Manitoba on Sunday after he went missing on Aug. 14. (CBC News )Skjottelvik was an experienced Norwegian wilderness traveller, according to information supplied to police, but Manaigre said the terrain and wildlife in the area where he was travelling is known to be extremely treacherous.”People have said there are only a few people that can do it on this planet,” Manaigre said about the man’s trek.”The fact that he made it that far is just a testament to his skills.”Steffen Skjottelvik left Fort Severn, Ont., on foot on July 25 with his two dogs with the intention to arrive in York Factory, Man., (indicated in red on the above map) on Aug. 15, but he did not arrive as scheduled. (Google Maps)According to Manaigre, police believe the man was swept away while attempting to cross the Hayes River on his way to York Factory, and he said the man’s body was discovered just south of the community, near where his parka washed up on shore Friday. “It was a very short distance, and officers were there quite quickly,” he said. Steffen Skjottelvik, seen here in an undated photo provided by family. Skjottelvik was last heard from Aug. 14, and his body was found near the Hayes River on Aug. 24. (Submitted by family spokesperson Christian Dyresen)Manaigre said the ground in the area where the search took place is boggy and so soft at points that people would often sink to their knees or waist while trying to travel on it. The area along the Hudson Bay shoreline is also known to be populated by polar bears and wolves, and to have fluctuating water levels because of the tide coming in and going out from Hudson Bay, he said.”I’ve been a police officer for nearly 30 years, involved with search and rescue for the last eight, and in my experience, this has probably been one of the hardest searches that has taken place in this province, just due to its location,” Manaigre said. “It’s a tough search mentally, as well as physically due to the terrain and the dangers associated with wild animals, polar bears, wolves. You have to be armed in that area. There’s a lot of factors that come into play besides just searching.”Manaigre said discovering Skjottelvik so close to York Factory only adds to the tragedy of the story. “When you’re sinking up to your knees or your waist it’s painful, because you’re putting so much pressure on your legs and your back, and he was living off land, hunting and fishing for nearly a month, and almost made it.”He was right there.”Manaigre confirmed Manitoba RCMP officers have been in touch with the man’s family. ‘Living his dream,’ family saysChristian Dyresen, spokesperson for the Skjottelvik family, said in a Sunday interview they are still waiting for details on how Skjottelvik died, but are relieved the search has come to an end. He said Skjottelvik was “living his dream” by trekking in uninhabited terrain in northern Manitoba, but also knew the dangers associated with what he was doing. “He’s been aware of the risks and family have been talking to him about risks,” he said. “And they’ve also talked with Steffen about possible outcomes of this trip, bearing in mind all the significant risk that is in the area.”The family now says they now hope people will remember Skjottelvik for the adventurous life he lived before his death. They also released a statement thanking those who took part in the search and rescue mission. “The family is in deep grief, but also feels a sense of relief that the search has now come to an end. The process of bringing Steffen home to Holmsbu can now begin,” the statement read. “We wish to express our deepest gratitude to everyone – both in Norway and in Canada – for the love, support, and engagement shown throughout this difficult time.”Gillam RCMP said they would like to thank the community members from Fort Severn, and Parks Canada who assisted with this search.ABOUT THE AUTHORDave Baxter is an award-winning reporter and editor currently working for CBC Manitoba. Born and raised in Winnipeg, he has also previously reported for the Winnipeg Sun and the Winnipeg Free Press, as well as several rural Manitoba publications.With files from Erin Brohman and Kim Garritty
Missing Norwegian trekker found dead near York Factory in northern Manitoba
