Nunavut hunter falls through ice, makes pants out of a fox to stay warm

A craftyhunter fromSanikiluaq, Nunavut, made emergency pants out of a fox after he fell through ice over the weekend.

Well-known carver Jimmy Iqaluq, whois in his 70s, washunting alone for polar bears on the southern part of theBelcher Islands Saturdaywhen his snowmobile went through the ice.

Iqaluq was able to pull himself out of the waterand tied his snowmobile to the ice in the hopes of saving it. He walked toa small island and, because the tide was low, he had to climb up sheer ice to get on land.

He built himself an igloo but found his wet legwasgetting numb.

Moses Appaqaq,CBC's community reporter in Sanikiluaq,saidIqaluq's pants were soaking wetso he made new ones using the day's catch.

"He cut the fox's fur around the head and pulled the skin off and used it for pants," he said in Inuktitut.

Iqaluqwas found around 5 a.m. the following day when a search team found his shelter. He made it home safely.

The ice to which he had tied his snowmobile broke and the machine sank, and helost his gear.

Appaqaq addedthe hunter also spotted killer whales near Sanikiluaq at the floeedgenorth of the community.