'We share their grief': Nain in mourning after avalanche death

People in Nain are remembering a young man who was buried in an avalanche over the weekend.

"It's a small community, everybody knew him," said Joe Dicker, the AngajukKak, or mayor, of Nain. "There's a big family, and the big family spreads out through the community, so the whole community feels it."

It happened Saturday in an area known as the Blowhole, a popular but windy shortcut for snowmobilersheading to sea ice, and a place Dicker says is prone to avalanches.

• Nain snowmobilers have brush with avalanche

• Snowmobiler killed after being buried in avalanche near Nain

Three men were caught in the avalanche, but only two emerged at the bottom of the slide.

They couldn't find the third man.

"We had a lot of snow for the last few days, the winds were high, and the snow was drifting," Dickersaid.

He said there was frost covering the snow that was there before, so new snow piling on top could slip off without warning.

We share their grief.- AngajukKakJoe Dicker

Posts on social media called for help from anyone with a snowmobile or a shovel, and about 100 people from the community along with the entire Nain RCMPdetachment searched for nearly two hours before finding him.

"I'm very, very proud of my community for responding like that," Dicker said. "I think that it shows how close the community is."

After searchers found him, the manwas brought to the local clinicwhere he was later pronounced dead.

Dicker saideveryone in town is feeling the loss along with the man's family.

"We share their grief," he said.