Snowmobile deaths in vermont

[2knees]

http://www.wfsb.com/news/22195851/detail.html

6 so far in just a short period of time. damn, i knew the sport was dangerous but that seems crazy.

I remember when i was at castleton some guy went through the ice on bomoseen on an atv. must be some strong currents under there to prevent the ice from really getting thick enough.

 

[Glenn]

This was big news last week on the local TV stations. It's tough because a few of the deaths were younger people.

I was very surprised by the recent one where the sleds went through the ice. In Brattleboro, where the West River meets the CT River, they have a ton of ice fishing huts out there. On Sunday, there was a pick up out in the middle of the ice. So I was really amazed that the ice wasn't frozen farther up North. They did have a local guy(from where that accident occured) on who said it hadn't frozen until recently, then had a blanket of snow which actually hinders the ice from forming.

Any vehicle falling through ice can be really scary. Often, the forward momentum will carry it and the passenger quite a distance from where they entered the ice. It makes finding the hole and getting out that much harder.

I've learned from years of ATVing that you have to have a healthy level of respect for nature, the terrain and what you're riding on. Anyone of those can come back and bite you if you're not careful. Adding alcohol to the mix only increases the risk.

 

[2knees]

Adding alcohol to the mix only increases the risk.

Isnt that one of the biggest problems with snowmobiling? I'm pretty ignorant to the sport and dont want to generalize, but i've always been under the impression that its an issue in that sport. trailside bars and such.

 

[andyzee]

http://www.wfsb.com/news/22195851/detail.html

6 so far in just a short period of time. damn, i knew the sport was dangerous but that seems crazy.

I remember when i was at castleton some guy went through the ice on bomoseen on an atv. must be some strong currents under there to prevent the ice from really getting thick enough.

I've driven my 4Runner on Bomoseen with no problem and there were plenty of truck out there. I think the big problem is that folks just head out before the ice has enough time to thoroughly freeze. This year in particular may be bad as the freezing got off to a late start.

 

[Euler]

One of the deaths was an 18 yr old girl who graduated last year from the school I was teaching at. Her small town community is distraught. Her death was not from driving on thin ice, but seems to have had some alcohol and high speed involved.

Be smart and be safe everyone.

 

[billski]

Isnt that one of the biggest problems with snowmobiling? I'm pretty ignorant to the sport and dont want to generalize, but i've always been under the impression that its an issue in that sport. trailside bars and such.

I think it's more an issue that you can go too far too fast (ATV, 4WD, snowmobile, cycle) on any mechanized vehicle and get in over your head (no pun) quickly with little or no work.

Going someplace under your own power tends to be much more regulating. Always exceptions, especially in the Pemigawasset Wilderness.

 

[wa-loaf]

I've driven my 4Runner on Bomoseen with no problem and there were plenty of truck out there. I think the big problem is that folks just head out before the ice has enough time to thoroughly freeze. This year in particular may be bad as the freezing got off to a late start.

There are some places on lake that never freeze deeply because of currents and what-not. If you don't know the lake you can quickly get into trouble. I remember kids in HS purposefully driving across some of these sections just to see if they could make it.

Not the situation here, because I think they were locals. So i don't know if that was a normally safe section of lake or not.

 

[Geoff]

Isnt that one of the biggest problems with snowmobiling? I'm pretty ignorant to the sport and dont want to generalize, but i've always been under the impression that its an issue in that sport. trailside bars and such.

Vermont has quite a bit of resource allocated to DUI enforcement for snowmobilers. Just like for automobiles, it's a big revenue generator for the state. There are a ton of Sheriff’s Deputies out there on snowmobiles with breathalyzer kits. It's really easy money and the town gets to keep half.

 

[Glenn]

Isnt that one of the biggest problems with snowmobiling? I'm pretty ignorant to the sport and dont want to generalize, but i've always been under the impression that its an issue in that sport. trailside bars and such.

I don't know much about the stats on that. I did a bit of research on it regarding ATVing though. The stats are few and far between, but most of the deaths happened because: A: Proper safety gear wasn't used or machine was being ridden that was too large for the individual (child on an adult machine) B: Drugs/Alcohol C: A combo of A and B.

The death Euler mentioned was really sad. That was on the front page of the Deerfield Valey News last week. Turns out, the girl was attending the same college my wife and I went to. I really feel for her family...and her friends who were there when it happened.