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Snowmobile Fatalities 2016-2017


Blake G

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Sadly there will be snowmobile-related fatalities each year. These events serve us all as reminders of the dangers of our sport.

 

May our fellow sledders rest in peace.

 

The first sledding death I've heard of for this season, took place last night in Kearney.

 

https://www.baytoday.ca/local-news/opp-release-name-of-snowmobiler-killed-in-kearney-492259

 

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Kearney Fire & Emergency Services responded to a report of a collision on Cherry Hill Road and 12th Concession, Kearney, Ontario.

 

A snowmobile was traveling in a northerly direction on Cherry Hill Road, when it struck a tree that had fallen across the width of the roadway.

The driver was ejected from the snowmobile.

 

Christopher Hill, age 28, of Emsdale, Ontario, was pronounced dead at the scene.

 

Members of the Technical Traffic Collision Investigations (TTCI) unit attended the scene.  

 

A post mortem is scheduled for December 18, 2016.   

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RIP fellow sledder. Such a sad way to start the season. 

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There was one earlier this month between Apsley & Anstruther Lake.

 

Before this thread goes south, could we leave any additional comments? Usually threads like this get nasty. For those that think this is a morbid topic, the USPA has publicized "incidents" (as they call them) for their members for many years:

 

http://www.uspa.org/Safety-Training/Accident-Reports

 

If we can learn from this maybe it will be helpful.

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18 minutes ago, revrnd said:

There was one earlier this month between Apsley & Anstruther Lake.

 

Before this thread goes south, could we leave any additional comments? Usually threads like this get nasty.

 

If we can learn from this maybe it will be helpful.

 

I agree one hundred percent, revrnd. 

 

It is not cool to disparage those who have lost their lives.

 

The thread can serve a purpose if any of us can learn from the mishaps of others.

 

 

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That is tragic, even more so given the time of year. RIP young man and my condolences to his family.

This could have been me a few times over the years. I tended to be watching more for vehicles than trees on the road but was usually going much too fast.

I try for the most part to no longer ride at night as I finally realized that I too often outrode my headlights.

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Years ago, the OFSC or OPP's (???) "STOP" officer's page had a link to all reported sledding accidents in the province. 

The link was torn down a long time ago, but the page still existed for those who knew the address. 

I have not been able to get the page to come up for several years now.

 

I used to link it occasionally so that folks would keep a sense of mortality - either their own, their passenger's, or the fella coming the other way, and maybe slow down, or keep in mind to stay tight on their side of the trail on hills and corners, and not to go too hard into right hand corners especially.

 

The accidents that we usually hear of are the ones "on trail", but the bulk of them seem to be alcohol induced bravery and stupidity involving open water at night, or docks at night on small lakes, or even running up on the opposite shore with it held "to the bars" and hitting whatever is there - trees, cabin, sea wall... 

 

I wish that page existed, or if the public was privy to it if it does exist - but the address has at least changed along the way.

 

Now it seems that the program has been dissolved:

 

http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/opp--ofsc-discontinue-stop-program-snowmobile-safety-partnership-to-continue-568631381.html

 

 

 

 

.

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Sad ...I'm sure speed was a factor .

 

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41 minutes ago, NiagaraKev said:

Sad ...I'm sure speed was a factor .

 

Speed was not a factor..  As posted this afternoon online.

 

Mark Reynolds Yes my friend was on his way to my place on his snowmobile and a tree had fallen across the Rd was about 4 feet off the ground across the hole Rd my wife came home at 630 and was still standing by 9 was across the Rd. He was sober and not speeding the opp where at my place Sunday night to let me know this such a horrible thing we where talking about last week how are kids are old enough to come sledding with us know and how we can get more ridding in he lived for winter and sledding going to miss one of my best friends.

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Strange ..  RIP for sure .

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On 12/20/2016 at 11:31 AM, Ox said:

Years ago, the OFSC or OPP's (???) "STOP" officer's page had a link to all reported sledding accidents in the province. 

The link was torn down a long time ago, but the page still existed for those who knew the address. 

I have not been able to get the page to come up for several years now.

 

 

 

.

I also thought the site was a wealth of information. When I was new to snowmobiling I never would have thought of the possibility of a deer killing someone on the trail until I read about such an incident actually occurring. A "scared straight" moment. 

 

Jerry

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Feel for the family and friends, sad accident. Unfortunately they do happen. I protect the vitals with a tek vest. Just as important as a helmet imo. Maybe not in the case of this fatal incident, but it could make the difference in walking away or not in some cases. 

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Very unfortunate and so hard on the family this time of year

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On 12/20/2016 at 11:31 AM, Ox said:

Years ago, the OFSC or OPP's (???) "STOP" officer's page had a link to all reported sledding accidents in the province. 

The link was torn down a long time ago, but the page still existed for those who knew the address. 

I have not been able to get the page to come up for several years now.

 

I used to link it occasionally so that folks would keep a sense of mortality - either their own, their passenger's, or the fella coming the other way, and maybe slow down, or keep in mind to stay tight on their side of the trail on hills and corners, and not to go too hard into right hand corners especially.

 

The accidents that we usually hear of are the ones "on trail", but the bulk of them seem to be alcohol induced bravery and stupidity involving open water at night, or docks at night on small lakes, or even running up on the opposite shore with it held "to the bars" and hitting whatever is there - trees, cabin, sea wall...

 

I wish that page existed, or if the public was privy to it if it does exist - but the address has at least changed along the way.

 

Now it seems that the program has been dissolved:

 

http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/opp--ofsc-discontinue-stop-program-snowmobile-safety-partnership-to-continue-568631381.html

 

 

 

 

.

As Odot the OPP constable on FS would say, "Nothing good happens on a snowmobile after midnight." Over the years I know of several fatalities in the area that happened after dark on land and the lakes.

 

I had a scare back in the 90s during a snowfall @ night on Chandos. Running the roads was fine as it wasn't hard to navigate. As soon as I got on the lake, there was no reference to where I was going. I slowly made a turn & eventually found the shore. Rode along until I found the access point. I wasn't interested in running into 1 of the rock piles that stick out of the ice in West Bay. 

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Similar thing happend to me many many years ago on Lake Simcoe. Scared the crap out of me and I'll never try that again.

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I imagine getting disoriented on a lake at night is comparable to the disorientation during a mid day white out on the ice. We were on Georgian Bay heading from Honey Harbour to Penetang when a snow squall blew in. You couldn't see the next stake ahead. We could just make out the shadow of the south tip of Beausoleil Island and made it back there to wait for things to subside. GPS is invaluable for times like that... turn around and follow your track line on the GPS back to the main land.

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I do not like riding at night at all!!!  I agree nothing good happens after midnight the amount of  late nights i see/hear people flying across the lake I'm always waiting for something to happen.  I do understand some people have no choice that are on trips its the ones that go out after drinking where i have a hard time with.  

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We had a 62yr old go through the ice about 20minutes west of the city, river had just froze over maybe a week

 

And this past weekend a 21 yr old went for a ride and was found the next day beside near his sled after colliding with a culvert in -20s, way too young, one reason to tell people where you are heading and when to be expected back

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18 hours ago, revrnd said:

As Odot the OPP constable on FS would say, "Nothing good happens on a snowmobile after midnight." Over the years I know of several fatalities in the area that happened after dark on land and the lakes.

 

I had a scare back in the 90s during a snowfall on Chandos. Running the roads was fine as it wasn't hard to navigate. As soon as I got on the lake, there was no reference to where I was going. I slowly made a turn & eventually found the shore. Rode along until I found the access point. I wasn't interested in running into 1 of the rock piles that stick out of the ice in West Bay. 

Jay was the 1st incident a teacher? I seem to recall seeing on the CP24 ticker that a teacher from Manitoba was missing after going on a sled ride.

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On 12/23/2016 at 4:08 PM, revrnd said:

Jay was the 1st incident a teacher? I seem to recall seeing on the CP24 ticker that a teacher from Manitoba was missing after going on a sled ride.

 that was another one way up north

 

teacher from Nelson House

 

Forgot about that one

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/thin-ice-snowmobile-death-manitoba-1.3896629

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A wreck happened right by my house yesterday. Sledder blew through the stop sign at the road and crossed a driving lane. Then T-boned an SUV and caved in the rocker panels and both driver side doors. I believe the trails were closed at the time.

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Not trying to offend anyone but what was she thinking.

With the weather we have had NO ICE is safe.

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You just can't get through to some people. How could anyone think GB ice was safe

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