Rescuers rushed to the Graystokes area near Kelowna on Tuesday night after a snowmobiler hit a tree hard enough to crack his helmet, according to Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR).
“Fortunately, he was with some other riders, and one of them had an emergency locator beacon,” search manager Duane Tresnich said in a news release. “They called for help and then transported the injured rider 800 metres to the Kelowna Snowmobile Club’s Hilton Hut.”
Three COSAR members responded on snowmobiles while two others rode a UTV to the hut.
The search and rescue team said deep powder made access difficult, so the injured rider’s colleagues tried to help by packing the trail with their sleds.
COSAR said helicopters couldn’t fly because of the weather conditions.
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Around 10 p.m., the injured man was transported to a waiting ambulance on Forest Service Road 201 near the Big White access road.
The injured rider had initially been snowmobiling by himself but joined the other riders when he encountered them on the trail, according to COSAR.
“Although he filed a trip plan, he was still riding by himself. He may have had a much longer wait if it wasn’t for the other riders,” Tresnich warned.
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