David Pisurayak Kootook

David Pisurayak Kootook, MSC, (1958 – November 1972) was a Canadian Inuk boy from Taloyoak who helped save the life of Canadian bush pilot Marten Hartwell during a crash in the Canadian Arctic. Kootook was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross. The pilot was flying a medical evacuation plane when it crashed. Kootook survived the crash but died after 23 days.

Kootook, who was being evacuated to get treatment for his appendicitis, survived the crash. The plane hit a hill 400 kilometres (250 mi) northwest of Yellowknife. He built a shelter for himself and the pilot and spent 23 days building and tending a fire and finding food for himself and the pilot. Hartwell eventually ate the flesh of a deceased passenger, but Kootook declined and died of starvation. In an inquiry, doctors determined he would have survived if he had not used all his energy for his heroic efforts. The survivors endured temperatures as low as 40 °C (104 °F).

Hartwell was rescued by the Canadian military a week later.

The Meritorious Service Cross was awarded to Kootook's family in 1994 for his efforts to save Hartwell's life.

The story of the crash and the following events were written about in Edmonton author Peter Tadman's book The Survivor.

In 1998, Kootook was honoured by the Northern Transportation Company by having a ship named after him. He was also awarded, posthumously in 1994, the Meritorious Service Cross, which is awarded for "a deed or an activity that has been performed in an outstandingly professional manner, or with uncommonly high standards."

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