Fatal crash sparks safety fears over night snowmobiling in Whistler
Sunday, 05 Jan, 2016
0
Amid safety fears over snowmobiling tours at night after an Australian tourist died, a Whistler winter sports tour operator has defended its safety record.
A 65-year-old Australian tourist died when he smashed into a tree on Blackcomb Mountain late New Years Day.
Craig Beattie, general manager of Canadian Wilderness Adventures, said it was the company’s first fatal accident for more than 20 years.
All riders on the Blackcomb Mountain tour are given prior instruction and headlights provide sufficient lighting on the trail, Beattie said.
"They are given an in depth five to ten minute safety speech and orientation on the snowmobile, like how to operate it and what to expect while on the trail. There are strict rules and regulations for snowmobile speeds and for what we can and cannot do."
"The machine he was riding was a 600 Ace Bombardier, with a maximum 60 horse power. Not a big rocket machine, by any means," Beattie said, adding that the group was going much slower than the permitted 40 kilometres an hour speed limit.
"He was able to find his way up and down the mountain without any incidents. He did good a job while we were practicing different aspects along the way."
The dead man plunged over an embankment before hitting a tree midway through the tour at about 11.30pm.
The man’s wife who was riding as a passenger was taken to hospital in North Vancouver for treatment.
The incident is being investigated by Whistler RCMP and the British Columbia Coroners Service.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Clearing CSS/JS assets' cache... Please wait until this notice disappears...
Updating... Please wait...
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps