Tragic Snowmobile Death

[twumba]

sad deal, sorry to hear condolences

 

[Formula Z]

prayers to the family. I ride with my young daughter regularly. Should also remind us the importance of helmets and safety. Ride safe everyone...

 

[mxz sledhead]

what horrible loss its probable stupid mistake that caused it there talk about
helmet law In my family it is the law that is my two cents unfortunately it still wont
bring back that little girl life back .The guilt the father is going to face is
tough and hard

 

[barefooter]

Of course, bad things happen to people who wear helmets too! I've seen lots of bad things in the ER from quads, dirtbikes, and sleds and most had helmets on. We accept risk and ride to the best of our ability...

The decision gets a little tougher when we involve our children. I've often wondered if our (my hubby & I) decision to ride with the kids, on the sleds or in the Rhino/Quads is pure selfishness? On the one hand, it is such great family time and it means we don't have to leave the kids home while we do what we love. On the other, it could mean regrets for a lifetime. Is it an acceptable risk? How do you know? What if we are wrong???? You don't get to take it back if you screw up and "What if" could drive us crazy... We need to re-evaluate I think...

SledMamma:

That is a tough one to consider. When my oldest daughter was 5, she had a wreck on a horse that could have seriously injured/killed her. Afterwards, I went through the same thing myself - questioning myself. She had all the safety equipment on, (helmet etc., we were being careful and it still happened. We didn't push her to ride after that - but she was back on a horse in 3 days. I can't keep her off a horse now. To her - it gives her some individuality and a "purpose".

I also have two little kids. My boy (5) doesn't care but my daughter (3) is going to be as horse crazy as her big sister. I have seen her spend two hours at the fence feeding them, petting them, etc. When she rides - better plan for 4 hours.

I have gone through that wreck 2,000 times in my mind - the "what if" she hadn't had her wits about her. Then I think that there are a 1,000 other things during the days that could cause her harm. Why takes something away that she takes such great pleasure from?

I would agree with you if you were "forcing" your kids to participate. That could be selfish. But they likely are enjoying it as much as you. Be sensible and play safe. But don't try to beat yourself up too much about it.

 

[Iron Horse Racing]

My condolences to the family, it is a tragic loss of life and my heart goes out to all those close.

I agree with you barefooter, my kids are all older now, but have been riding horses, quads and snowmobiles since they were old enough to hang on.
They were shown and explained why to wear the appropriate safety gear. A great example was one summer we were heading out for a bicycle ride, I and the then only kids were putting on helmets mom didn’t like wearing hers……my son looked up and said Mom we can’t go yet you don’t have your helmet on. ……
They were taught how to ride, how to fall, and now that they are older, they have all taken first aid classes, the two that have chosen to compete have both taken riding lessons, balance and tumbling lessons. One competes on horses while the other is a Pro quad motocross racer. Have they come off; yes they have….some say we have just been lucking that they haven’t been hurt. They may be right but part of both of their training to become better riders has and always will be how to best avoid accidents but ultimately how to take a fall.

Sledmoma
Take the kids with you, teach them young how to ride responsibly and have fun doing it, it will pay off in spads…..

SledMamma:

That is a tough one to consider. When my oldest daughter was 5, she had a wreck on a horse that could have seriously injured/killed her. Afterwards, I went through the same thing myself - questioning myself. She had all the safety equipment on, (helmet etc., we were being careful and it still happened. We didn't push her to ride after that - but she was back on a horse in 3 days. I can't keep her off a horse now. To her - it gives her some individuality and a "purpose".

I also have two little kids. My boy (5) doesn't care but my daughter (3) is going to be as horse crazy as her big sister. I have seen her spend two hours at the fence feeding them, petting them, etc. When she rides - better plan for 4 hours.

I have gone through that wreck 2,000 times in my mind - the "what if" she hadn't had her wits about her. Then I think that there are a 1,000 other things during the days that could cause her harm. Why takes something away that she takes such great pleasure from?

I would agree with you if you were "forcing" your kids to participate. That could be selfish. But they likely are enjoying it as much as you. Be sensible and play safe. But don't try to beat yourself up too much about it.

 

[magnet]

thoughts and condolences to the family as well. But regardless of the helmet issue how freakin fast was this guy going that he hit hard enough that it resulted in 1 fatalities and another in icu for 2 days now. they showed the site on the news and no blood to me this means all injuries were impact injuries only. you gotta hit pretty hard to get injured that bad. helmets may have helped, probably for sure, but come on slow the frig down when riding with kids on. especially young ones that cannot hold on as well or react as fast if something goes south. just pisses a guy off when everybody says he was a good dad and always very cautious about safety then a situation like this happens. unfortunatly cant feel sorry for the guy. possibly a temporary lack of judgement caused this. hopefully it opens others eyes to prevent a tradgedy like this from happenig again.

 

[Orrin]

SledMamma:

That is a tough one to consider. When my oldest daughter was 5, she had a wreck on a horse that could have seriously injured/killed her. Afterwards, I went through the same thing myself - questioning myself. She had all the safety equipment on, (helmet etc., we were being careful and it still happened. We didn't push her to ride after that - but she was back on a horse in 3 days. I can't keep her off a horse now. To her - it gives her some individuality and a "purpose".

I also have two little kids. My boy (5) doesn't care but my daughter (3) is going to be as horse crazy as her big sister. I have seen her spend two hours at the fence feeding them, petting them, etc. When she rides - better plan for 4 hours.

I have gone through that wreck 2,000 times in my mind - the "what if" she hadn't had her wits about her. Then I think that there are a 1,000 other things during the days that could cause her harm. Why takes something away that she takes such great pleasure from?

I would agree with you if you were "forcing" your kids to participate. That could be selfish. But they likely are enjoying it as much as you. Be sensible and play safe. But don't try to beat yourself up too much about it.

A life without risk is a life without reward, their are many lifeskills to be learned in the out of doors. I will be taking my daughter out when she's old enough and strong enough to be comfortable in the gear and I will be using the utmost of caution, but she will get the opportunity to enjoy all that nature has to offer riding being just one thing. As stated earlier speed was the critical factor here and the lack of personal protective gear was clincher.

 

[Modman]

As a "soon-to be" father, I cannot imagine what life must be like for this poor family. Sure we can say it was stupid or whatever on the helmet issue, but none of us can say that this poor father was a bad guy in anyway, nor can we say that we have not done the same. He was simply trying to take his little girl for a sled ride and give her some joy in life. Hell, some of us were allowed to drive the car on the backroads when we were 10 yrs old (with Dad in the passenger seat of course)!!! we could have easily made a mistake and drove the car off a cliff, but we didn't. Maybe this guy was just going for a little tool around the spot at 10 km/hr and got a little carried away. A harmless little ride. I don't know - I wasn't there. I'm sure his intentions were not for the ride to end the way it did.

We have friends with kids, and they constantly strive to protect them from every little thing, as an example - the mother will not allow her kids to be friends with any other kids whose parents have guns, they have never allowed them to have toy guns, etc etc. Their kids have been sheltered from guns their whole life (oldest is 7).

To me, this lack of exposure to guns (and their very hazardous uses) is something I disagree with. The kids know nothing about the safety hazards of guns, the very real threat they pose, how to properly use them, etc etc. I feel like there is a real possibility that one day, one of their kids could be over at a friends house and get into the gun cabinet (can't protect them forever and curiosity will get the better of a rebellious pre-teen/teen) and something could go really bad - because they don't know what guns are all about. I have no issue about her wanting to protect her kids - I just think that they should be educated on guns enough to satisfy their curiosity in a safe and controlled situation, not without supervision when they are 12 and decide it would be funny to point a gun at their friend.....

This is the same tough decision that many parents face I think.

If you expose your child to something, you expose them to risk. You can put them in swimming lessons and they could be the best swimmer in the world, but they slip on the pool deck and crack their head open.

I don't think keeping kids in a bubble is the answer, nor do I think that their safety should be jeopardized. I think its important to expose them to as many things as possible so that they can learn and experience as much as possible in life.

Sometimes that exposure carries risks. Sometimes those risks can be avoided, sometimes bad things just happen, even when you take all the precautions. Maybe this poor young girl could have been wearing a helmet and lived, however then she stepped on some ice and slipped in front of a moving car on her way to school the next day. I drive by the area of Millarville where an 8 yr old boy was killed last year while getting off the bus from school. It had nothing to do with how safe his parents were during his upbringing - he was just caught in a bad situation. I think about that accident and the family each time I drive by the site.

Magnet, it does not take a very large man, travelling at a slow rate of speed, to crush a smaller child. All it would take is for her head to get trapped between his chest and the handlebars at probably under 30km/hr for it to cause enough trauma to kill her. A 5 yr old is a fragile little person.

This is a great tragedy to fall onto a family. Our hearts go out to them. The little one is gone, they are left to mend broken hearts and dreams of what could have been.

I hope they enjoyed the time they had with her, and I hope that they remember the good times and all the love they shared.

"I would rather die trying to live, than live trying not to die."

 

[Bogger]

That right there says it all.....................

 

[jaredszakacs]

Our thoughts and prayers for the family awful thing to happen

 

[Chad Douglas]

I too am a father to 2 1/2 year old little girl and I cherish every moment spent together on snowmobiles and quads. I can not imagine what this family is going through. My thoughts and prayers are with this family.

 

[ZRrrr]

As a "soon-to be" father, I cannot imagine what life must be like for this poor family. Sure we can say it was stupid or whatever on the helmet issue, but none of us can say that this poor father was a bad guy in anyway, nor can we say that we have not done the same. He was simply trying to take his little girl for a sled ride and give her some joy in life. Hell, some of us were allowed to drive the car on the backroads when we were 10 yrs old (with Dad in the passenger seat of course)!!! we could have easily made a mistake and drove the car off a cliff, but we didn't. Maybe this guy was just going for a little tool around the spot at 10 km/hr and got a little carried away. A harmless little ride. I don't know - I wasn't there. I'm sure his intentions were not for the ride to end the way it did.

We have friends with kids, and they constantly strive to protect them from every little thing, as an example - the mother will not allow her kids to be friends with any other kids whose parents have guns, they have never allowed them to have toy guns, etc etc. Their kids have been sheltered from guns their whole life (oldest is 7).

To me, this lack of exposure to guns (and their very hazardous uses) is something I disagree with. The kids know nothing about the safety hazards of guns, the very real threat they pose, how to properly use them, etc etc. I feel like there is a real possibility that one day, one of their kids could be over at a friends house and get into the gun cabinet (can't protect them forever and curiosity will get the better of a rebellious pre-teen/teen) and something could go really bad - because they don't know what guns are all about. I have no issue about her wanting to protect her kids - I just think that they should be educated on guns enough to satisfy their curiosity in a safe and controlled situation, not without supervision when they are 12 and decide it would be funny to point a gun at their friend.....

This is the same tough decision that many parents face I think.

If you expose your child to something, you expose them to risk. You can put them in swimming lessons and they could be the best swimmer in the world, but they slip on the pool deck and crack their head open.

I don't think keeping kids in a bubble is the answer, nor do I think that their safety should be jeopardized. I think its important to expose them to as many things as possible so that they can learn and experience as much as possible in life.

Sometimes that exposure carries risks. Sometimes those risks can be avoided, sometimes bad things just happen, even when you take all the precautions. Maybe this poor young girl could have been wearing a helmet and lived, however then she stepped on some ice and slipped in front of a moving car on her way to school the next day. I drive by the area of Millarville where an 8 yr old boy was killed last year while getting off the bus from school. It had nothing to do with how safe his parents were during his upbringing - he was just caught in a bad situation. I think about that accident and the family each time I drive by the site.

Magnet, it does not take a very large man, travelling at a slow rate of speed, to crush a smaller child. All it would take is for her head to get trapped between his chest and the handlebars at probably under 30km/hr for it to cause enough trauma to kill her. A 5 yr old is a fragile little person.

This is a great tragedy to fall onto a family. Our hearts go out to them. The little one is gone, they are left to mend broken hearts and dreams of what could have been.

I hope they enjoyed the time they had with her, and I hope that they remember the good times and all the love they shared.

"I would rather die trying to live, than live trying not to die."

I agree with you, but the fact still exists that they chose to ride without helmuts. With all the media attention around head injuries you would think it would be an easy decision to at least protect the child.

It made the news tonight and has been a catalyst in the helmut law debate. Only AB and BC do not have a helmut law. ASA has been lobbying for a helmut law since 1997. ASA guy had a good comment that it was only because of lack of political will. This could be the one incident that get things moving in the right direction.....finally!

 

[Ridin High]

Re: Tragic

Thoughts and prayers for the family. Not easy to deal with such a thing.

 

[GasCan]

Of course, bad things happen to people who wear helmets too! I've seen lots of bad things in the ER from quads, dirtbikes, and sleds and most had helmets on. We accept risk and ride to the best of our ability...

The decision gets a little tougher when we involve our children. I've often wondered if our (my hubby & I) decision to ride with the kids, on the sleds or in the Rhino/Quads is pure selfishness? On the one hand, it is such great family time and it means we don't have to leave the kids home while we do what we love. On the other, it could mean regrets for a lifetime. Is it an acceptable risk? How do you know? What if we are wrong???? You don't get to take it back if you screw up and "What if" could drive us crazy... We need to re-evaluate I think...

Good points! My eldest of two boys is now 5 yrs and I took him out to ride with me a few weeks ago. While most of the riding was mild and at lower speeds, I did perform a couple small launches off a small hill with him aboard at 10-15mph or so. Nothing major and not at risk of striking a tree but did have a properly fitted helmet which does give a certain level of security and protection especially at lower speeds.

We have all heard the dangers of a tree strike on the ski hills and sledding is not much different when you consider the risk and the surroundings. With that being known, I will always keep the risk low when my kids are out with me where speed will always have a limit, and whenever I want to play a bit, I'll always ensure tree's are far from being a threat by keeping a safe distance from the tree line.

Next summer this one will be introduced to his first 50cc dirt bike. Safety will always be first and foremost, and protective gear is a must in my opinion. Once he's geared up, he'll slowly be introduced to the sport and speed restriction will be exercised until he can respect the throttle and learn about his surroundings. I learned at a young age and managed not to break any bones, and my belief is that he can follow a similar path and enjoy moto-sports.

As mentioned above, one never knows when or where a wrong turn can develop, but I still believe we have to live and enjoy ourselves in the present. I only hope that the family here can take something from that and remember the positive things they did in this time of loss! I could never imagine the heart felt sorrow they must endure and for this I am sorry for them, and with them.

 

[rmktime]

sad to hear , prayer to the family and friends

 

[Modman]

I agree with you, but the fact still exists that they chose to ride without helmuts. With all the media attention around head injuries you would think it would be an easy decision to at least protect the child.

It made the news tonight and has been a catalyst in the helmut law debate. Only AB and BC do not have a helmut law. ASA has been lobbying for a helmut law since 1997. ASA guy had a good comment that it was only because of lack of political will. This could be the one incident that get things moving in the right direction.....finally!

Yes, it was their choice to accept the risk of riding with no helmets. At this stage though, I don't think that debating what the right or wrong decision was is going to bring back their little girl. I'm sure if they could do it all over, they would trade the rest of their days to bring her back.

I'm glad to hear it has sparked debate, media coverage, etc. If the tragic death of this innocent life makes one other parent force their kid(s) to wear headgear during motorsports, then she did not die in vain. If they institute a helmet law because of this accident then she deserves to become a martyr.

Despite whatever happens on the helmet issue - A young, fragile, innocent, vibrant life has been taken too soon.

 

[2manykids]

Just 2¢ about making wearing a helmet a law. Yes cops and such can give you a ticket. But it will not force people to wear them, it will be the same people who dont. We have seat belt laws, can we all say we wear them 100 % of the time. There are laws about children in car seat, i have a daughter 11 and if we went by law she would be in a booster seat, cause of her height. Only by an inch but still the law. Do i feel that all should wear them yes.

Most kids dont like to wear them they are heavy and make it hard to walk around. Let them wear them in the house. Make it a toy. Get them one with flashy colors, get them to WANT to wear them.

 

[storch]

You have to live with the descions you make and this is going to be a hard one.
I always put helmuts on my kids, small price for a life.
The other day I was tuning my sled in the shop and would take it for a rip in the field to check it out. Not wearing a helmut(stupid I know) my wife came out into the driveway and gave me sh!t. I parked the sled and went into the
house and my 4 year old said " did mommy make you park your sled because
you did not wear a helmut". I said "yes she did". He said "you should stand in the corner for being a bad boy" I laughed... then I did.
Learned that leading by example will go a long way.
My prayers will be with the father and the family of this little girl.

 

[sldnxs]

Condolences to the family... indeed very sad!

 

[sumx54]

Absolutely Tragic... I can't even imagine what the family is going through right now...god bless