SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. – A 46-year-old Wilmot Valley man who was in a serious snowmobile crash Jan 19. has died.
Prince District RCMP confirmed the death on Monday but could not identify the man until his next of kin have been notified.
The accident occurred at about 6 p.m. on Saturday in the Spring Valley area. The man was using the Confederation Trail systems when he lost control of his snowmobile and hit a tree.
“There were other snowmobilers in the party. One of them called 911 to report the accident,” said Staff Sgt. Derrick Hewitt of Prince District RCMP. “From what we can tell right now, it doesn’t look like he was riding with anyone else on the machine. Kensington Fire Department and Island EMS were also at the scene. He was taken to Prince County Hospital and then airlifted to Halifax.”
Hewitt said local snowmobilers were of assistance at the scene as they helped transport officers and responders to the injured party.
Alcohol has been ruled out as a factor in the accident.
“We will check the Ski-Doo mechanically to see if there were any issues and look at everything between weather and what not. Until the investigation is finished, we can’t say what caused it.”
Hewitt said a person doesn’t have to be going at top speed to get into a fatal accident.
“You can be going 30 or 40 kilometres per hour and get in a serious accident.”
Allen MacLeod, deputy Fire Chief for Kensington Fire Department was at the roadside organizing firefighters’ plan of rescue on Saturday.
“Our first priority was to get our rescue sleigh hooked up to some kind of transport to get to the scene. We weren’t sure what we were looking at.”
There were about 15 members from the Kensington Fire Department and two members from the New London Company who responded to the call.
“The New London guys brought out their rescue sled, too, it was a great help. They were mainly used for transport and I think a paramedic was put on one of the snowmobiles to help get them to the scene.”
This has been the first call about an accident of this nature this year for the Kensington Fire Department as well as for the Prince District RCMP.
Hewitt is reminding snowmobilers to ensure their machines are operating properly as well as keep the trails are a shared system and to be aware of their surroundings.
