In the last 3 weeks, 6 people have died in Snowmobile accidents in VT

[cali]

This is the latest:

3 die when snowmobiles go through ice on Vt. lake

The Associated Press
Sunday, January 10, 2010; 12:57 AM

SALISBURY, Vt. -- Three snowmobiles crossing a frozen Vermont lake plunged through the ice Saturday, killing a man, his 24-year-old daughter and 3-year-old granddaughter, police said.

The snowmobiles were carrying six people on Lake Dunmore when the accident occurred about 100 yards from shore at about noon Saturday. Five people went into the water and were later pulled out by rescue crews. A 4-year-old was pushed to safety before the snowmobile he was riding went through the ice.

Kevin Flynn, 50, Carrie Flynn, 24, both of Whiting, and 3-year-old Bryanna Popp, of Brandon, were pronounced dead at Porter Hospital in nearby Middlebury.

Kevin Flynn's wife, 47-year-old Terry Flynn, and Bryanna's brother, 6-year-old Jeremiah Popp, survived, as did the 4-year-old, whose name wasn't immediately released.
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Carrie Flynn was the aunt of at least two of the children.

The accident was the latest in a series of fatal mishaps involving snowmobiles in Vermont.

<snip>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/09/AR2010010902016.html

[otohara]

1. Wish Those Were Banned

except for search/rescue.

[cali]

2. I don't object to people using them for utilitarian reasons, but i agree

re recreational use. I live right near a snow machine trail and sometimes ski on it. I frequently pick up trash and sometimes liquor bottles. Unbelievable that people drink while operating those things.

[1]

3. so what you are saying is... snowmobiles are more dangerous than guns...

omg!

and since we all know that guns > bad, we must conclude that snowmobiles = guns > bad.

omg!

the math is beyond reproach.

*cries*

[cali]

4. No, I said nothing about guns, dear. duh.

Are snow machines dangerous? Unfuckingdoubtedly. They're also noisy and the people who ride them are all too often inconsiderate.

More people have died in snow machine accidents in the last 3 weeks in VT than in car accidents.

[Behind the Aegis]

6. Really?

"More people have died in snow machine accidents in the last 3 weeks in VT than in car accidents." Is this true?

"They're also noisy and the people who ride them are all too often inconsiderate."

The same could be said of motorcycles, trucks, and even cars. Except for the noise part, it could be argued the same (too often inconsiderate) about cyclists.

[Ghost in the Machine]

9. Boy falls through ice on pond

Boy falls through ice on pond
Posted: Jan 08, 2010 5:02 PM EST
Updated: Jan 08, 2010 5:58 PM EST


BARTLETT, Tenn. (WRCB) -- A 10-year-old boy is in critical condition after falling through the ice on a pond.

Reece Wagner was playing with a group of other children yesterday when he fell through the ice. Rescuers had to use a boat to get to the boy.

Reece was unresponsive when they pulled him from the ice.

"One of the boys tried to save him but couldn't save him -- he went in there, but I'm guessing couldn't get him," said Reece's friend Emily Hummel.

"I'm really sad and scared cause my brother plays with Reece all the time and he's like a little brother to me," Carlyle Cicinelli.

http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11792393

2 teens die, 1 survives after fall through ice

Associated Press - January 9, 2010 8:34 PM ET

DACULA, Ga. (AP) - Two teens have died and a third was hospitalized Saturday after falling through the ice into a partially frozen Gwinnett County pond.

County Fire and Emergency Services Capt. Tommy Rutledge says in a statement that 2 of the boys who got trapped in the pond were unresponsive and unconscious when rescue workers pulled them from the water.

Rescuers say the three, ages 13 to 15, tried to walk across the semi-frozen pond in Dacula when the ice broke Saturday afternoon.

Rutledge says 1 of the boys escaped, but the other two got trapped under the ice and spent nearly an hour in the frigid water.

http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11796195

Hmmmm... no snow machines involved.....

BAN FROZEN LAKES & PONDS!!

:evilgrin:

[Control-Z]

13. Seriously?

WTF?

[greenbird]

5. I'm in Western New York

and every year we have fatalities. Quite often, drinking is involved. I guess there's a culture of bar-hopping along the snowbmobile trails. I could certainly be more educated about the sport; I'll admit that I've judged it based on the noise and the drinking.

[democrank]

7. How tragic

That family must be going through hell right now.

[glowing]

8. I wonder if they were on a marked trail or if they just randomly crossed a lake that

they assumed was frozen? I remember my mom saying that it was unusually warm during Nov... and then the cold/ snow blasts started coming.. if that is true, some of these lakes wouldn't be solid enough for a snowmobile.

[cali]

10. As you know, going on a lake that you aren't positive is solidly frozen

is just stupid.

[glowing]

11. Yes, but if they were part of a club, and the trail was marked as ok for crossing by a snowmobile,

the club is going to share in some liability... Those trails are normally part of a "club" that you pay dues to... If you are caught on those trails without a license, you can be fined. They are privately maintained by the dues. In my area, those on cross country skiis who used the trails and were caught, were fined as well. It is dangerous for someone on skiis to meet a snowmobile... and the club is also responsible for making sure garbage, etc. is cleaned up and that no one is driving around drunk.

Of course, not everyone uses a trail or belongs to a club.. and there are dumb teens who use the snowmobiles to go to parties instead of wheels.. which I did myself.. however, I never did it drunk or rode behind with a drunk and always wore a helmet.

[Berry Cool]

14. No one should ever assume any "trail" including a frozen body of water is safe.

Of course, I don't think most clubs would mark a trail on water.

There is a basic rule about frozen bodies of water that everyone needs to follow in winter, whether riding a snowmobile or not: Never assume the whole thing is frozen just because part of it is frozen, and never assume that the whole thing is of even thickness just because it's all frozen over and part of it can hold your weight/the weight of your vehicle/whatever.

Parts of any body of water can have thinner ice on them that's very easy to break through given the right amount of weight, especially if there have been warmer, sunnier conditions since the original freeze that may have caused some of the thinner parts to weaken in ways that may not be immediately evident.

Nobody should just run, skate, ski or drive out onto a frozen body of water assuming the whole thing is of even thickness and evenly frozen over and safe. Nor should they let their dog do so (the better thing is to keep the dog leashed). How many people (especially kids) have died trying to save dogs that ran out onto thin ice and fell through it? You can't explain to dogs about ice, so the only thing to do is keep them leashed if you know you're going to be around a body of frozen water big enough that they might run onto it and break through.

If you don't have at least four inches of ice on the whole body of water, you don't have safe ice.

[glowing]

15. We had many trails onto ice.. that's where the fishing shanties sit. and how you access them.

[newfie11]

12. I remember in northern lower Michigan

when a guy was out riding his machine, surprised a deer. The deer jumped on the snowmobile with him causing him to hit a tree. The deer jumped off unharmed but the man had a broken neck. He survived and as far as I know is still riding them.

Ya just never know what can happen.

Then there was the guy in a tree stand who fell asleep and fell out of the tree again breaking his neck. Again he is as far as I know walking around today.

Choose your sport! I ride horses and know what can happen but it is my choice.