Injured snowmobiler rescued

Search and rescue teams helped to get an injured snowmobiler to treatment in the Greystokes Park area east of Kelowna Tuesday night.

The rider ran into a tree, with the force great enough to crack his helmet.

Central Okanagan Search and Rescue used snowmobiles and an off-road four-by-four UTV vehicle to remove the injured rider.

“Fortunately he was with some other riders and one of them had an emergency locator beacon,” said search manager Duane Tresnich. “They called for help and then transported the injured rider 800 metres to the Kelowna Snowmobile Club’s Hilton Hut.”

The injured man was transported by UTV to an ambulance waiting on a forest service road near the Big White access road around 10 p.m.

The snowmobiler had initially been riding by himself, but joined the other riders when he encountered them on the trail.

“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,” said Tresnich.