Riding Your Snowmobile

Recovering from Mishaps

If You Break Through Ice

• Don’t panic. Your snowmobile suit and helmet may keep you afloat for several minutes.
• Swim to the closest edge, and stretch your arms out across the unbroken ice. Keep your gloves on.
• If you have a sharp object such as a knife or ice pick, jab it into the ice so that you can pull on it.
• Kick your feet as hard as you can, and pull yourself up quickly with your forearms. Don’t put all your weight on your elbows.
• If the edge breaks off, move forward to the next solid edge and try again.
• Crawl up onto the ice, and then crawl or roll (but don’t stand—you may break through again) until you’re on solid ice.
• Take action immediately to prevent hypothermia. (See Chapter Four)

Safety Equipment

If you plan to venture out on frozen bodies of water, consider additional equipment for emergencies. Small, tethered picks designed to be carried on a person for easy access may increase your chances of survival after falling through the ice.

If You Get Stuck in the Snow

• Accept the fact that you’re stuck, and stop the engine. Don’t gun the engine, which only digs the snowmobile in deeper.
• Try one of these methods to free the machine.
  • Use a rope to pull it out.
  • If the machine is facing uphill, turn the skis to the side and pull the front end around so that it faces downhill. Then drive forward.
  • Tramp down the snow in front of the machine, “rock” the machine from side to side, and then drive forward.
  • Dig the snow away from the front-end suspension parts. Pack down the loose snow in front of the machine and on one side of the track at the rear of the machine. Lift the machine out of the hole and onto the compacted surface. Then drive forward slowly.
• Don’t lift your machine alone. In some cases, people have had heart attacks from the strain. Get help.
• When you’re moving again, you may gain traction with a slight side-to-side rocking motion.