CONTACT:
Conservation Officer Levi Frye
603-788-4850
February 22, 2024

Pittsburg, NH – On Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at approximately 6:15 p.m., NH Fish and Game was notified of a snowmobile crash involving multiple people on First Connecticut Lake in Pittsburg. A Conservation Officer began responding from over an hour away to investigate the incident. Pittsburg Fire Department, 45th Parallel Ambulance, and Beecher Falls Fire Department personnel responded to assist the patient, identified as Mark Eligio, 45, of East Haven, CT.

Upon arrival on scene, emergency personnel determined that Eligio had his young daughter on the back of the snowmobile during the crash, however, after evaluation by medical personnel, it was determined that she was uninjured. Eligio’s injuries were severe enough that a call was placed for the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Advanced Response Team (DHART) helicopter to transport Eligio to a major trauma center.

The 45th Parallel Ambulance transported Eligio from First Connecticut Lake to the landing zone at Dorman’s Gas in Pittsburg to meet the DHART helicopter where he was ultimately transported to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for serious injuries.

Rescue personnel on scene determined that Eligio was riding in a large group of riders on First Connecticut Lake and hit a pressure ridge on the ice, throwing him and his daughter from the machine. Multiple other machines in the riding party struck the pressure ridge which threw their operators as well. Everyone else involved in the strike were either uninjured or refused medical treatment.
In the last several days, a large pressure ridge formed approximately ½ mile south of Camp Otter Road in the northern third of the lake and is a significant hazard, but is easily negotiated by going at a slow and controlled speed.

The crash is still under investigation, however at this time the incident appears to have been caused by excessive speed and inattention to potential hazards.

NH Fish and Game would like to remind snowmobile operators that though the majority of lakes and ponds do not have a speed limits, operators are still expected to slow down and be cognizant of hazards, especially at night while vision is reduced. Riders must always ride within their limits and reduce their speed to avoid crashing.