The search for a hunter who fell through the ice outside Clyde River, Nunavut has ended.

Iqaluit RCMP told CBC on Wednesday that the search was called off Tuesday afternoon due to water temperature and fast currents in the area. Police said in a press release Tuesday that the man was believed to have drowned.

Police told CBC that due to the conditions, the chances of recovery were very unlikely. Police have not released the name of the hunter.

According to the Tuesday release, the hunter was part of a group of five men hunting polar bears. The group was 65 kilometres southeast of Clyde River when the man fell through the ice at about 9:30 p.m.

A second man also fell through, but he was pulled out. The hunting party reported the incident via VHF radio, and a five-person group went out to the area to transport the man back to Clyde River. The remaining hunters stayed in the area.

Search and rescue travelled to the area the next morning to join the search with the remaining hunting party.

According to the release, the hunters were not carrying GPS or SPOT devices.