MACTAQUAC, N.B. – New Brunswick riders are being reminded to take caution after the province’s fourth snowmobile-related death this year.
On March 3, a 43-year-old man died when he missed a turn and struck a power pole guide wire.
“It’s gut wrenching, because everybody’s out there to have fun and to enjoy themselves, and when someone loses their life, you ask yourself, could you have done something?” said Ross Antworth, the general manager of the New Brunswick Federation of Snowmobile Clubs.
Antworth said this has been the best winter for snowmobiling in more than 20 years, but like each year, it’s also been marred by tragedy.
READ MORE: Man dead after crashing snowmobile on trail near Miramichi
Police are still investigating the latest accident along with another that claimed the life of a 21-year-old man.
Antworth said the incidents serve as a reminder to each rider that they have the responsibility to control the outcome of their ride.
“Don’t ride faster than your skill level,” he said. “Remember, there are other people out there. Remember that what you’re out there for is to enjoy the scenery, enjoy the trail and enjoy the friendships.”
Antworth said although riding more quickly is part of the thrill, “it’s also part of the problem.”
In the previous six years there have been at least 21 deaths on snowmobiles in New Brunswick, not including figures for 2012, which haven’t been made available yet.
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But Antworth said it was much worse just before the turn of the millennium.
“In those years it would exceed ten a year, which was just horrible,” he said.
Since then, the Off Road Vehicle Act was adjusted to include mandatory helmets and a safety training course for riders under the age of 16.
RCMP Const. Jullie Rogers-Marsh says police are also urging caution, and have asked people on snowmobiles to ride at their own risk.
“Be aware that being out in remote areas, or off the beaten path, if there is an emergency there could be delays in emergency responders or RCMP being able to get to you,” she said.
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