Just yesterday there was a snowmobile fatality in Minnesota, the same day a Wisconsin man was sentenced in a deadly snowmobile accident from last New Year’s Eve. While yesterday’s accident is still being investigated, alcohol and excessive speed were factors in last year’s. The twenty-seven year old Wisconsin man ran over a friend after he’d fallen from his own snowmobile.75% of snowmobile fatalities occur off trails. 74% involve alcohol and 37% involve excessive speed. Most snowmobiling injuries and deaths fall on males, aged twenty to thirty-four.
How do you stay safe out there on the trails? Well the obvious would be to stay on designated trails, keep speeds at a reasonable rate, and avoid using drugs and alcohol if you’re planning on snowmobiling.
Here are some more tips to follow in order to help you remain alert and ensure your safety on the trails:
- Always let someone know where you going and when you will return.
- Never ride alone.
- Watch your fuel supply. Head out only to a point where the fuel gauge is showing no less than one half, then follow your track back.
- Be sure to have reflective trim somewhere on your snowmobile for night time visibility.
- Obstacles hidden in the snow.
- Trees and branches on the trail.
- Slow maintenance equipment.
- Other snowmobiles, sleds, skiers, walkers, and wildlife.
- Wash outs and flooding.
- Snow banks and moguls.
- Road and railway crossings.
- Unexpected corners, intersections, and stops.
- Bridges, open water, and unsafe ice.
- Logging operations.
- Avoid areas in which avalanches are known to occur
- Spend as little time as possible on open, steep slopes
- Avoid crossing steep sided hills. If you must cross, stay on the side where the wind blows.
- Stay out of narrow, steep canyons
- It’s safer to snowmobile in areas where snow tends to be compacted and fixed, such as timbered areas, along ridges, and rock outcrops.
Remain calm. - Call out to others so they can
- find your course.
- Move away from your machine and equipment.
- “Swim” with the avalanche.
- Before coming to a stop, place your hands over your face to form an air pocket. If the snow is soft you may be able to dig yourself out.
- Be sure to dig your way up. If you have been able to create a pocket, use gravity to determine up from down.
- Don’t waste your strength and oxygen yelling. Sound doesn’t broadcast well out of snow.
- Don’t leave your party behind. You may be their only chance at survival.
- Search for victims by probing with a pole directly downhill from the point they were last seen.
Be sure to dress right when snowmobiling.
- Bottom layer should be polypropylene and thermals, fabrics that release moisture while retaining heat. Then add another heat retentive layer on top of that.
- Avoid cottons and sweat shirts. They keep the moisture in and will make you cold and clammy which could lead to hypothermia.
- Find snowsuits that are water and wind proof.
- If riding across ice, consider wearing a buoyant snowmobile suit. If the ice happens to break, the suit will keep you afloat and help protect you against hypothermia. It’s best however, to avoid riding over ice if possible.
- Always carry extra clothing, socks, boot liners, and mittens.
Hypothermia is the greatest threat for winter riders. When you have hypothermia your body loses heat faster than it can produce it, causing a dangerously low body temperature. When your body temperature drops, your heart, nervous system and other organs don’t work properly.
Left untreated, hypothermia eventually leads to complete failure of your heart and respiratory system and to death.
Here are the causes of hypothermia:
- Not dressing properly for weather conditions.
- Staying out in the cold too long.
- Unable to get out of wet clothes or move to a warm, dry location.
- Accidental falls in water.
Signs and symptoms of hypothermia include:
- Shivering.
- Clumsiness or lack of coordination.
- Slurred speech or mumbling.
- Stumbling.
- Confusion or difficulty thinking.
- Poor decision making, such as trying to remove warm clothes.
- Drowsiness or very low energy.
- Apathy, or lack of concern about one's condition.
- Progressive loss of consciousness.
- Weak pulse.
- Shallow breathing.
A person suffering from hypothermia usually isn't aware of his or her condition. The symptoms often begin gradually and one of the symptoms, confusion, prevents self-awareness.
If you fear someone is suffering from hypothermia, here’s what you should do:
- Handle them with care. Limit movements to only those that are necessary. Don't massage or rub the person. Too much movement could trigger heart failure.
- Move the person to a warm, dry location if possible. If you're unable to move the person out of the cold, try to shield him or her from the cold and wind.
- If the person is wearing wet clothing, remove it. Cut away clothing if necessary to avoid excessive movement.
- Use layers of dry blankets or coats to warm the person. Cover the person's head, leaving only the face exposed.
- To warm the person's body, remove your clothing and lie next to the person, making skin-to-skin contact. Then cover both of your bodies with blankets.
- If they stop breathing or their breath seems dangerously low, begin CPR if you’re trained to do so.
- If the affected person is conscious, give them something warm to drink. No alcohol or caffeine.
- Get medical help as soon as possible.
Sources:
The Mayo Clinic
KARE 11
WSAU Newstalk
Clallam County, Washington
To learn more about snowmobiling in Washington state visit Washington State Parks, the WSSA, and the WSSA Safety Program.
To find snowmobile associations in your state click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment