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WASATCH COUNTY — A 10-year-old boy is dead following a snowmobile crash in a remote area near the border of Wasatch and Summit counties.
Friday, around 11 a.m., emergency crews received a call about a snowmobile crash off state Route 35 near the Nobletts Creek and Mill Hollow turnoff — a common recreational area, Wasatch County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Jared Rigby said. The boy had been operating the machine with his father as a passenger when it struck a delineator post, throwing the two from the machine and rolled.
Speed appeared to be a factor, Utah State Parks officials said.
Rescue crews who located the father and son requested a medical helicopter for the boy, who had sustained blunt-force trauma injuries and was not breathing. The 10-year-old could not be resuscitated, and he died at the scene.
The father suffered some broken bones, likely a broken arm from the rollover. He drove himself to the hospital in fair to serious condition, officials said.
The accident occurred in Wasatch County about 14 miles from Kamas. Crews from both Wasatch and Summit counties, as well as Utah State Parks assisted in the response.
"As families and friends spend time recreating, we strongly encourage safety in all respects. We recognize this as a tragic accident and extend our deepest sympathies to those involved and affected," Wasatch County Sheriff's Office said in a release.
Several snowmobile accidents occurred across the state Friday, according to Utah State Parks spokesman Eugene Swalberg. State park rangers are urging snowmobilers to wear helmets and to familiarize themselves with the terrain and their machine before riding.
Utah law requires anyone under 17 to wear a fastened, properly fitted helmet while riding.
Contributing: Betsy Tracy and McKenzie Romero
