Drowning victim described as a family pillar

Residents of Old Crow are in shock after a respected member of the community has unexpectedly died, Liberal MLA Darius Elias said today.

Residents of Old Crow are in shock after a respected member of the community has unexpectedly died, Liberal MLA Darius Elias said today.

Geno Charlie, 34, drowned while on a canoe trip, said the RCMP. His body was discovered by a boater last week approximately 75 kilometres east of Old Crow.

“The community of Old Crow is obviously in shock,” Elias, who had known Charlie for many years, told the Star today.

“Losing such a high calibre of a young man ... it’s very hard to take.”

In the early hours of Friday morning, a boater on the Porcupine River reported to police he had found a body near the confluence of the Driftwood River.

Two community members of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation as well as two RCMP officers responded to the call by boat.

They arrived at the confluence of the Driftwood and Porcupine rivers at about 8:45 a.m. and retrieved the body of a male from the water.

He was wearing a lifejacket.

An overturned canoe was located approximately six kilometres upstream from where the body was found.

Police say Charlie was on a solo canoe trip on the Eagle and Bell rivers, which flow into the Porcupine River – a trip that covers a distance of approximately 390 kilometers.

Charlie’s parents died when he was young and he was raised by his grandfather, aunts and uncles.

Elias said Charlie was well-versed in traditional Gwitchin ways, spent a lot of time in the back country and was familiar with the river.

“That’s what makes it so hard to understand,” he said. “Just trying to fathom a tragedy like this.”

Community members had been watching the river rise and fall all summer, and elders had told people to exercise caution, said Elias.

He said Charlie was invaluable to the community, hunting for single moms and elders who needed help.

“He was a pillar for his family, always providing for those who couldn’t provide for themselves,” said Elias.

“It was obvious that family was incredibly important to him.”

Charlie leaves behind a spouse and three children, the oldest of whom is 10 years old.

“He was an excellent father,” said Elias.

There are plans to hold a celebration of Charlie’s life, but no date has yet been set.

Meanwhile, police are investigating the incident.

Sgt. Don Rogers, the RCMP’s spokesperson, said the incident does not appear to be suspicious.