Paramedics On Snowmobiles Rescue Crash Victim

Two paramedics used snowmobiles to reach an accident victim six kilometres into the woods near Tatamagouche on Sunday.

A man crashed into a tree while driving a snowmobile Sunday afternoon near New Annan. He was travelling with members of a local snowmobile club.

Patti Reid, a paramedic with Emergency Medical Care Inc., said it was impossible to drive the ambulance through the woods, so she and fellow paramedic Denis Robichaud used snowmobiles and a sled from the local snowmobile club to bring emergency medical equipment to the crash scene.

"It took about 15 minutes to get to the accident scene," said Reid. "The victim was conscious and alert with several injuries, and it was extremely cold outside."

A paramedic from a local fire department helped secure the patient on the sled, then they towed him out of the woods -- nearly a 30-minute ride.

Nova Scotia's air ambulance helicopter was waiting on a field behind the snowmobile club and lifted off with the patient at 5:17 p.m., arriving at the South Battery Helipad on the Halifax waterfront at 5:44 p.m.

An ambulance transported the patient to the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre. He was treated for multiple injuries by the QEII trauma team. The emergency response was co-ordinated by the Emergency Health Services Communications Dispatch Centre.