CONTACT:
Conservation Officer Matthew Holmes
603-788-4850
603-271-3361
January 31, 2022
North Stratford, NH – On the afternoon of Friday, January 28, 2022, a Massachusetts man and woman both sustained significant injuries after crashing their snowmobile into a tree adjacent to the Corridor 5 snowmobile trail.
At approximately 12:30 p.m., Ryan Feyrer, 47, of Orange, Massachusetts, was operating his snowmobile southbound on the Corridor 5 snowmobile trail in an area known as the “Arm of Sugarloaf” in the Nash Stream State Forest. While negotiating a turn, an article of Feyrer’s clothing caught his throttle, causing him to lose control and go off the trail and into a tree. Upon crashing into the tree, Feyrer and his 47-year-old female passenger were both ejected from the machine. As a result of the crash, both individuals sustained injuries.
Immediately following the crash, the two were located by other members of their riding party. With no cell phone coverage in the area, one of the group members rode approximately 9 miles to the Groveton Trailblazers Snowmobile Club Clubhouse in Stark. Here he located an off-duty paramedic who happened to be working at the clubhouse at the time. This individual notified New Hampshire Fish and Game Conservation Officers directly to alert them to the incident and then rode a borrowed snowmobile back to the scene to render first aid.
Upon receiving word of the crash, Conservation Officers worked to coordinate a rescue effort and responded to the scene. Personnel from Groveton Fire and EMS also responded to the scene with a tracked rescue vehicle to provide aid and patient extraction. Both patients were ultimately transported from the woods using a snowmobile and the tracked rescue vehicle. Upon reaching a plowed road, the injured parties were taken by ambulance to Weeks Medical Center in Lancaster for further evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Both involved individuals were found to be wearing helmets and appropriate gear. The operator was an experienced snowmobiler who was operating a machine that he owned. It is the belief of the investigating officer that part of the operator’s glove, which was tucked in a “gauntlet” style hand protector, interfered with the machine’s throttle and significantly contributed to the ensuing crash.