A funeral for the Toronto man who died while testing his survivor skills near Burk’s Falls was held in Kitchener on Monday.
Richard Code, 41, died last week of hypothermia, according to Almaguin Highlands Ontario Provincial Police.
His body was found by police helicopter on Wednesday, March 3, at the north end of Horn Lake in McMurrich/Monteith Township in an area impassable except by foot.
He had hitchhiked to the area the Thursday before for a four-day stay in the wilderness, with plans to return home on Sunday.
Code’s landlady called police when he didn’t return. He left a detailed note with instructions to do so if he did not return by the end of the weekend.
“I know he watched the Survivorman show and I’m guessing that maybe it was sort of the challenge of being able to survive on your own,” said sister-in-law Barbara Code, from Kitchener last week.
Survivorman is a show starring Les Stroud, who coincidentally lives in Huntsville. In it, Stroud is dropped into various climates and has to eke out an existence with no food, shelter, water or tools.
Code said her brother-in-law, who made his living doing odd jobs, had attempted three of these survivor camping trips before, but never in the winter.
The coldest it reached during the last weekend of February was -12 C, says the Environment Canada website. An autopsy conducted last Thursday confirmed Code died of hypothermia.
“It’s a shock for sure,” said Code, who described Richard as “friendly and animated.”
He was the son of Melvin and the late Ann Code and the stepson of Ruth Code, according to an online obituary. He had a brother Stephen, sister-in-law Barb and three nieces and nephews: Sarah, Laura and Matthew Code.