One killed in snowmobile race at Kugluktuk spring festival

A person has died as the result of a snowmobile accident Sunday night at the Nattiq Frolics, an annual festival in Kugluktuk, Nunavut.

RCMP confirmed the death in a release sent Monday morning, providing few details.

"During a snowmobile race, as part of the Nattiq Frolics, a racer lost control of their snowmobile causing an accident," the release reads.

"Race officials ran to the racer and immediately called for the ambulance. The racer was rushed to the health centre where they succumbed to their injuries."

Speaking at a COVID-19 briefing this morning, Premier Joe Savikataaq offered his condolences to the community.

"Kugluktuk, our thoughts and prayers are [with] you for the hard times that the community is going through right now," he said.

The Nattiq Frolics is an annual spring celebration in Kugluktuk, organized and sponsored by the hamlet. This year marked a return for the festival after a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Craft fairs, traditional skills competitions and snowmobile races are all regular parts of the festival. Sunday marked the end of the week-long event, which was supposed to be capped by a snowmobile parade.