Search and rescue crews remain on standby in Nelson House after a teacher is believed to have fallen through some ice while riding his snowmobile on Thursday.

On Saturday, RCMP said member from the Underwater Recovery Team are expected to be in the community on Monday to assist in the search efforts.

Nelson House Chief Marcel Moody said David MacDonald, 51, has taught outdoor education in the community for more than five years. MacDonald is originally from Miramachi in New Brunswick.

"He's been great for us. He's been instrumental providing leadership and really popular with the students and the community," said Moody.

"He was a really well-known, really well-liked teacher."

Moody told CTV there are snowmobile tracks leading to a hole in the ice. He said a local search team is ready to be deployed, but due to freezing rain and mild temperatures, they can't set out.

Chief Marcel Moody said Sunday the search is for David MacDonald is a wait-and-see situation right now.

"We are not 100 per cent sure it's him, but we are going to exhaust all resources," Moody said. "We are not sure he's underwater, but chances are that he is."

"There is still hope but we are not giving up," Moody said.

Close friends of MacDonald, Lou and Edna Moodie told CTV he set out Thursday afternoon to a cabin on Osik Lake. He was due back at 6 p.m. on Thursday, but never returned.

David MacDonald with twin daughters
David MacDonald with twin daughters, Allison (left) and Brianna (right). Both girls live in Nelson House. (Source: Alexandria Moodie)

Friends said the cabin is a 45 minute trip from the community, a placed he loved to visit. The Moodies and MacDonald were set to go to the cabin together this weekend.

Moody said he's waiting for an RCMP dive team out of Winnipeg to help locate MacDonald. The RCMP Underwater Recovery Team is expected to be in the community on Monday to help with the search efforts.

"That man left a footprint in our community. He touched a lot of hearts," said Lou. "He meant the world to us."

Alan Butler, the president of Snoman Inc., said that winters appear to be getting colder later in the season. Ice should be at least 6 inches thick before snowmobilers head out.

He said, at the moment, the ice is still not safe across much of the province.