Relatives of a young Anishnabe, who had been missing for 33 days, were found safe and sound Tuesday evening in the forest near Simon Lake in Abitibi-Temiskamingu.
“I never gave up hope of finding him alive. I was very emotional to be able to be with him today,” Micheline Poucachiche said in a brief phone interview.
Calls for help from his son, Percy Pugachichi, alerted two fishermen scrambling for fish in Lock Simon around 8:30 p.m. The Register.
The officers were assembled within minutes. Gerry Hunter, along with a friend, gave the police a hand with their boat near the body of water.
“We were walking in the dark. When we approached him and told him his name was Percy, we couldn’t believe it. What a surprise! He got into the boat and I took him in my arms to comfort him. He cried and asked what date it was, what year it was,” elaborated Mr. Hunter said.
Photo courtesy of Jerry Hunter
The 26-year-old man was taken to the hospital center but has already been discharged from the hospital.
tears that comes out automatically due to extreme happiness
The news spread like wildfire in the small village about thirty kilometers from Val-D’Or. The youth’s mother and several relatives immediately descended on the shore of the lake.
“I went straight to see him in the ambulance. We started crying with joy,” Micheline Poucachiche began.
“He had a big smile, he was happy. He was waving goodbye to everyone he had. It was moving,” said his cousin Rosanna Pugacich.
Weak and emaciated, the resident of Louvicourt was taken to a hospital center. Miraculously, he had no major injuries.
Photo courtesy of SQ
Percy Poucachiche
His mother still had no idea yesterday how he had been missing for over a month. He was discharged from hospital in the afternoon and was to be met by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
He survived in the forest by eating blueberries and raspberries and drinking lake water.me Bugachiche.
A mobilized community
Since his disappearance last month, Locke-Simon’s community has made no effort to locate him. According to Chief Adrian Jerome, the SQ conducted a week of research.
“Then, there was a mobilization [des citoyens] Constantly comb all corners of the forest in search of clues. People from Val-d’Or, members of the Cree community, distributed water bottles. We are so proud of him for not giving up,” she added.
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