Snowmobile crashes claim one life, injure two others

   Cass County Sheriff Bryan Welk reports that on Saturday, February 4th at 11:39 a.m., the Cass County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a snowmobile crash with injuries on the “Snoflea” Snowmobile Trail, in Home Brook Township, rural Nisswa, MN. Deputies and First Responders arrived near the scene and utilized tracked rescue vehicles to access the area. Deputies learned that an adult female, age 49 of Coon Rapids MN, was operating a 2020 Polaris Indy rental snowmobile with an juvenile male, age 15 of Coon Rapids, MN, as rear passenger. The snowmobile left the trail on a curve and struck a tree causing the rider and passenger to be ejected from the machine. The juvenile male was transported via helicopter to a St. Cloud MN hospital with serious injuries, the female was transported to a Brainerd MN hospital. Both were wearing helmets at the time of the crash. Assisting at the scene were Pillager Fire & Rescue, North Memorial Ambulance and AirCare. 

   The Cass County Sheriff’s Department received a second 911 call on Saturday, February 4th at 4:55 p.m., reporting a snowmobile crash with serious injury on 72nd St. SW in Byron Township, rural Staples, MN. Deputies and responders arrived on scene and found family and bystanders preforming CPR on an adult male victim. Medical aid was immediately continued by Deputies and EMS Personnel. The male was pronounced deceased on scene. The investigation indicated that a family was returning to their residence from a snowmobile trip when the track on the victim’s snowmobile became dislodged from the 2007 Yamaha snowmobile, causing the machine to crash and eject the operator, a male age 65 of Staples, MN. The operator was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. An autopsy is scheduled with the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office and the incident remains under investigation. Assisting at the scene were Motley Fire & Rescue, Staples Ambulance and North Memorial Air Care.