Death of Kenton Joel Carnegie
| Kenton Joel Carnegie | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
11 February 1983 Ajax, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | 8 November 2005 (aged 22) Points North Landing, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Resting place | Thornton Cemetery in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada |
Kenton Joel Carnegie (11 February 1983 – 8 November 2005) was a 22-year-old Canadian geological engineering student from Ontario on a work term from the University of Waterloo who died in a predatory animal attack while he was walking in the snow near Points North Landing. Subsequent investigations did not reach a consensus about whether his death was caused by wolves or bears.
Points North Landing, Saskatchewan is a service centre for uranium mines. Timber wolves and bears fed on camp refuse and were seen nearby. Ten months prior to Carnegie's death, a wolf attacked a fifty-five-year-old uranium miner named Fred Desjarlais who was jogging home from work in Key Lake. A busload of his colleagues arrived to rescue him by frightening the wolf away. An air ambulance took Desjarlais to Saskatoon's Royal University Hospital where he had an undergoing series of rabies treatment. After the attack on Desjarlais, Cameco built an electric fence around Key Lake's landfill to prevent further predatory animal attacks on miners. One naturalist who reviewed photographs taken during an incident days before the attack in which wolves that were supposed to have menaced two walkers other than Carnegie, said it appeared to be consistent with animals having a food-conditioned lack of fear in proximity to humans. It was suggested that one wolf's posture indicated it was aroused and capable of an attack. Another expert disputed the characterisation of the wolf's attitude.
Carnegie was on his autumn cooperative term in his third year of geological engineering at University of Waterloo. He and a colleague were in the Athabasca basin performing airborne surveying work for Ottawa-based Sander Geophysics. Carnegie told colleagues he was going for a walk. According to official statements made to RCMP, he was "implored" not to go. His family say that Carnegie was known to be interested in the geology around the lake, and he was given permission.
“Kenton asked and received approval from his supervisor to go for that last walk alone. Kenton was not a risk taker, had plans for his future and never would have taken that walk if he realized any potential danger.” Kim Carnegie, 2008
On 8 November at 5:30 P.M., Carnegie left, saying to his geophysicist that he would return by 7:00 for supper. His bush pilot warned him to not go out on the western shore of Wollaston Lake, but Carnegie ignored it. He went for a walk in the snow, but did not return to the surveyor camp. At 7:30, a search was mounted. The camp's co-owner drove out in a truck with Carnegie's geophysicist and bush pilot searching for him. Carnegie's tracks were followed to the lake shore. On noticing wolf tracks on the shore, the three searchers went back for a rifle before continuing. Carnegie's body was found a little further on, and no wolves were observed at that time. Using a flashlight, the body was viewed from about 10 m (32 ft), many wolf tracks were visible around the body. Later, when the body was being recovered, two sets of eyes were seen glowing in the dark close by.
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