A 29-year-old Minnesota man was found dead on Thursday after a snowmobile crash in the Cooke City area of Montana, reports kbzk.com.
According to a press release from Park County Sheriff Scott Hamilton, the man was found facedown in Stillwater Creek with a snowmobile on top of him.
Members of the Park County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue had responded to a report of a possible avalanche burial in the Abundance Valley area when the man was located at about 4:30 p.m. According to the sheriff, three snowmobilers, who were riding in the area, found the victim. One left to get help and the other two stayed and attempted to get him out of the water but were unsuccessful. When the Search and Rescue team arrived, they used a rope to pull the man from the creek. The rescuers administered CPR but they were not able to revive him.
According to the press release, the investigation shows there was no avalanche. It appears the victim was riding alone and side hilling above the creek. He lost control and ended up face down in the creek with his snowmobile on top of him. It is unknown exactly how long he had been there before he was found.
“This tragic accident is especially hard on our rescue team,” Hamilton said in the release. “The 29-year-old man from Minnesota was well known by at least two of our rescuers. He had been coming to Cooke City for many years, and this was his third trip this season. Please join us in keeping his family and our rescuers in your thoughts and prayers. ”
The Park County Coroner’s Office will release his name once all family members have been notified.
How sad, RIP.
Is this a kind of skiing boarding sledding site? otherwise, the report of a fatal accident on a snowmobile has nothing in common with skiing except the death part. which is kind of morbid.
Hey Sharpy, thanks for the comment. This is a snow community site. A lot of us use sleds to access ski/snowboard terrain and riding them and getting familiar with them is a big part of our industry. We write about accidents in our industry so that we can learn from them and avoid future accidents. Thanks.