The colourful five per cent lost one of their own last week, with the death of longtime gold miner Jimmy Conklin.

Conklin was working a claim at Mile 31 Dominion Creek Road, near Dawson City, when the loader he was driving rolled over, killing the 65-year-old man.

No one saw the loader flip, but another miner who was working on a nearby claim visited Conklin earlier last Thursday afternoon, at around 2 p.m.

When he returned at 3:30, he found Conklin pinned inside the overturned vehicle and called for help.

"It was believed he was already dead but emergency personnel were called regardless,” Sgt. Don Rogers said on behalf of the RCMP this morning.

Conklin was pronounced dead once paramedics arrived by helicopter.

"He'll be greatly missed in the community,” Rogers said.