Snowmobiler Airlifted After Severe Crash on Indian Lake

INDIAN LAKE, N.Y. – A snowmobiler suffered serious injuries following a high-speed crash on Indian Lake in Hamilton County on March 4.

At approximately 11:30 a.m., Hamilton County dispatch received a 911 call reporting an unconscious rider. Environmental Conservation Police Officer (ECO) Newell was the first to arrive on the scene, soon joined by Forest Ranger Milano and an Indian Lake paramedic.

According to officials, the 55-year-old rider from Hillsdale struck an ice heave at high speed, launching approximately 150 feet through the air while still on the snowmobile. Upon ejection, he tumbled nearly another 150 feet across the ice before coming to a stop. The impact resulted in a traumatic brain injury and significant damage to his left arm.

First responders and bystanders quickly wrapped the injured snowmobiler in a hypo wrap to prevent hypothermia and transported him using a snow ambulance. Indian Lake Fire and EMS teams then transferred him to a Life Net helicopter, which airlifted him to a hospital for emergency treatment.

Emergency crews cleared the scene by 1 p.m. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of unpredictable ice conditions and high-speed snowmobiling.