November 23, 2024
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2 snowmobilers hurt in minor accidents

Two teenagers suffered minor injuries in unrelated snowmobile accidents about 25 minutes and 35 miles apart in Abbot and on Moosehead Lake on Sunday.

Yaal Kand, 16, of Abbot was on Whetstone Pond at about 11:50 a.m. when his snowmobile hit a bump that sent him flying about 15 feet and into a tree, said Deborah Turcotte, interim spokeswoman for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Maine Warden Service.

At about 12:15 p.m., Alicia Lane, 15, of Eddington was riding on Moosehead Lake near Sandy Bay when she, too, hit a bump that flipped her sled.

Both were wearing helmets and riding with friends who called for help. The victims were transported to local hospitals with minor injuries, Turcotte said.

Thin ice was not a factor in either accident, according to Turcotte. She said that a bigger issue at the moment is layers of snowdust that limit visibility.

As temperatures slowly creep higher, however, thinning ice on water bodies becomes more and more of a concern for snowmobilers, Turcotte advised.

“Most places still have good ice,” she said, “but some ice is thinning. People are advised to watch for open water along shorelines, outlets and coves.”

Areas where currents are known to run strong should be monitored closely, Turcotte said.

Wardens caution that the wet weather and higher temperatures will add to any slush that is already layering lakes throughout the state. Snowmobilers should use caution, particularly along shorelines, because that is where the melting occurs first, and when riding after dark.

No other snowmobile accidents were reported statewide.

“Overall, it’s been a relatively safe weekend, which is good,” Turcotte said. “Most people are just out enjoying the weekend.”

nsambides@bangordailynews.net

794-8215


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