Dog’s warmth credited in boy’s survival

When Ross River residents got wind that a toddler had gone missing up the North Canol Road last Thursday night, it was difficult not to be pessimistic.

ROSS RIVER - When Ross River residents got wind that a toddler had gone missing up the North Canol Road last Thursday night, it was difficult not to be pessimistic.

Conditions don’t lend themselves to survival any time of year, let alone for a two-year-old without food or water, in the plummeting cold of nightfall.

As daylight began subsiding into night time on the second day of the search for the baby boy known only as Kale, the outcome looked bleak.

But, more than 24 hours after the curly-haired two-year-old was reported missing from his parents’ campsite on Tay Creek, rescue crews found the little boy, alive, thanks to a stray dog.

That dog, abandoned weeks earlier, has since been adopted by the family as a heroic pet. Rescuers say it was the toddler’s saving grace.

No one knows for sure what the canine did to keep the baby alive for more than 24 hours in dense bush, but area conservation officers guess the dog’s warmth during the cold night played a huge role.

“I was worried about exposure, the cold, the bugs,” said Ross River conservation officer Deb Morris.

The potential for peril was high, and residents understood the need to find the boy as quickly as possible. The image of a lost, lonely little face in the dangerous bush was tough to shake as hours counted onwards.

Throughout the search, a dozen RCMP officers and members of the Yukon Search and Rescue teams accepted help from many volunteers in Ross River and Faro, combing the hills and creek beds in the campsite’s vicinity.

Others stayed behind in town to make food for search teams, offer their vehicles as transportation, and offer prayers that the little boy would be found safe.

A helicopter searched from above while a specialized search and rescue canine and his handler sniffed for clues.

By Friday, many feared that if the near-freezing temperatures at night hadn’t taken the boy’s life, the chances of a wildlife encounter would surely reduce his chances of survival.

The family, from Kamloops, B.C., had set off on a camping trip over the long weekend in the remote area 50 kilometres outside of Ross River.

The North Canol Road is known for frequent bear, wolf and moose sightings. The area is rich in berries and small game, making it a prime feeding ground for wildlife fattening up for the winter.

The family, whose names are being withheld at their request, set up camp last Thursday when a stray dog wandered over with three porcupine quills stuck in its face, the parents told rescuers.

Ross River is notorious for its packs of dogs roaming the streets, but for a dog to appear 50 kilometres from town is highly unusual.

When the boy disappeared from the campsite, so too had the mutt.

Indeed, when heat-sensing forward-looking infrared radar (FLIR) cameras in the RCMP’s search and rescue helicopter found the boy Friday evening, the warm body of the stray dog was right beside him.

News of the successful rescue spread quickly. Many in town, including typically burly, stone-faced men, burst into happy tears.

“We were so happy, and just crying,” said longtime Ross River resident Verna Nukon.

The boy was assessed by staff at the Ross River health centre, then released. The family remained in Ross River until Saturday afternoon.

Over the long weekend, Ross River residents continued to celebrate the unexpectedly happy ending to the story.

Pats on the back were shared, as well as disbelief that a story with so bleak a predicted outcome was resolved so happily.

The many unsung heroes of the search have been humble about their contribution, with many just glad Kale was found safe and sound.

Ferry operator Frank Shorty, who shuttled vehicles back and forth across the Pelly River that divides the North and South Canol roads, accepted donations of food with a silent smile.

The Pelly River Barge usually operates from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon, but Shorty manned the boat all day and night until the boy was found, and rescue crews had been returned to the town side of the river safely.

Members of the Ross River Band Council had called the RCMP Friday morning to ask what they could do to help, beyond sending up anyone willing to search.

At that point, most officers had already been awake for more than 24 hours, and out in the wet, cold bush. They needed food. Almost in an instant, a big box of sandwiches appeared at the Ross River detachment for all the volunteers.

While people donated time and food, $1,500 in funding from the Department of Economic Development was siphoned through the band and their store, the Dena General Store, to offer free gas to rescuers and resident volunteers making the drive up the North Canol.

Mike Bondarchuk, the owner of the newly re-opened Canol Road Hotel and Restaurant, kept his restaurant open past its usual closing time of 8 p.m. Friday to host a slew of hungry rescue workers and RCMP members.

“They stayed until about five to 12 that night,” Bondarchuk said.

He also offered to cover the costs of the members’ meals, as they celebrated a successful rescue.

Bondarchuk also said the family of the little boy stayed and ate for free until they left town.

“They said they’re coming back next week to visit us though,” he said.

It will be a chance reunion, given the odds that were stacked against the toddler’s survival.

“This all really shows what support there is in the community,” said Nukon, a band employee.

The rescue effort was a product of the RCMP and search and rescue volunteers, and of every one in Ross River who united to help.

Sarah Niman is a former Star reporter living in Ross River.