A teenaged boy is believed to be the only survivor of a tragic family boat trip by five people on the Mackenzie River in the western Arctic.

The bodies of a woman and her young daughter were found in the river Friday afternoon following a large air and ground search.

Searchers are still looking for the bodies of a 40-year-old man and an 80-year-old man who were also travelling on the 5.5-metre aluminum boat that was swamped in rough waters.

The five relatives were on their way to a whaling camp about 160 kilometres north of Inuvik on the Beaufort Sea coast.

Staff Sgt. Bill Eubank, head of the Inuvik RCMP, said the young survivor said "they were hit with rough weather and big waves and the boat was swamped. Everybody was thrown into the water."

Eubank said the boy swam to shore and spent a day and a half alone in the bush before being rescued.

He said the boy was in shock, but not injured and is staying with relatives in Inuvik. The family has asked that no names be released until the bodies of the two missing men are found.

The group was last seen Wednesday night at a camp on the Mackenzie River, about 97 kilometres north of Inuvik.

The boaters were reported missing Thursday night, when they did not arrive at the whaling camp as expected. Air and ground searches were then launched.