The family of Steffen Skjottelvik—the Norwegian hiker found dead in northern Manitoba over the weekend—will be coming to Canada to bring his body home.
“They are in grief and big sorrow for the finding of Steffen,” Christian Dyresen, a spokesperson for the family, told CTV News Winnipeg on Monday. “But also in relief that the teams actually managed to find him this quick so that the family doesn’t need to be in uncertainty.”
Dyresen said Skjottelvik’s family will be coming to Canada later this week to retrieve his body and meet the teams that searched for him.
“They want to meet the friends and network that Steffen had in Canada, and also the crew that helped in the search of Steffen,” Dyresen said.
Manitoba RCMP confirmed Skjottelvik’s body was found Sunday morning near the Hayes River.
Hiker had ‘big dream’ of exploring wilderness, inspired by Norwegian pioneers
Dyresen said Steffen had a big dream of exploring Canada’s northern wilderness—a dream that started when he was a child. The hiker grew up on a family farm on the south coast of Norway on the seashore of the Oslo Fjord.
“His immediate playground has been Norwegian nature, the sea,” Dyresen said, adding Skjottelvik has a big family with brothers and sisters.
“He brought his family actually into his world, his whole life by reading them novels and stories and talking about his inspirations.”
He said Skjottelvik was inspired by Norwegian pioneers like Lars Monsen, an explorer, adventurer and author who became famous for his solo explorations and backpacking expeditions.
“He had for many, many years—probably most of his life—a dream to explore the wilderness,” Dyresen said, adding Skjottelvik started his journey through Canada in 2023, with a goal to cross Canada and Alaska.
Body found near Hayes River in northern Manitoba
The discovery comes more than a week after the 29-year-old hiker disappeared. He had been planning a hike from northern Ontario, setting out from Fort Severn, Ont., on July 25 on foot with two dogs.
He was set to arrive in York Factory, Man. on Aug. 15, but never showed up.
RCMP said one of the dogs was later found near York Factory. There remains some uncertainty surrounding the other.
“The other dog I’ve heard had been attacked by a wolf, so I’m not sure if it had been killed or just ran off,” Manitoba RCMP Sgt. Paul Manaigre said in an email to CTV News.
Manaigre said he had also heard the dog may have been spotted near Peawanuck, Ont., where it was originally from.
“If the dog did return to this community, this would suggest it had been early in this trip when the dog went missing,” the email reads.
Search parties were organized with the help of Fort Severn First Nation, RCMP, community members and conservation officers. Teams scoured the northern Manitoba wilderness by air, foot and boat.
Last week, Skjottelvik’s backpack and rifle were found near his last GPS coordinates on the east side of the Hayes River—a two-kilometre wide, turbulent body of water. On Friday, Skjottelvik’s jacket was also found in the area.
RCMP previously said investigators believe Skjottelvik attempted to cross the river before he went missing.
Police confirmed the 29-year-old’s body was found on the west side of the river, a short distance away from where his jacket was found.
Family to thank search teams in person
Dyresen said the family plans to meet and thank the search teams in person when they come to Canada later this week.
“The family wants to thank all the members of the search and rescue, both the official representatives in Canada and the volunteers that has been spending hours every day, during the night, by plane, by foot to search for Steffen,” he said.
“They are touched by the emotions that we could now see surface in Canada, with people lighting candles, joining together to remember Steffen.”
With files from CTV’s Katherine Dow
Editor’s Note:
Information regarding the fate of the two dogs has been added to this article. RCMP tells CTV News one was found near York Factory. There remains some uncertainty surrounding the other.
