Manitoba's snowmobiling community is reeling after a fatal snowmobile crash claimed two lives this weekend.
"So sad; certainly a tragedy," said Yvonne Rideout, executive director at Snowmobilers of Manitoba, or Snoman.
It's still not clear what happened leading up to the head-on collision that claimed the life of 49- year-old Gary Schellenberg and his 14-year-old son, Evan, on Jan. 24.
A woman was also hurt in the crash and sent to hospital in stable condition.
At this point, Rideout said Snoman's understanding is the family was out ice fishing early Sunday on English Lake; an area located roughly three hours northeast of Winnipeg.
Rideout said typically snowmobiling is safer on trails where riders are protected from blowing snow, which can create whiteout conditions more easily in open areas. She said most crashes happen off-trails.
While Rideout couldn't confirm weather conditions at the time of the crash, she said it’s always important to check weather and ice conditions before heading out.
STARS Air Ambulance said it could not respond to the crash due to weather conditions.
In a statement to CTV News on Monday, the province said multiple agencies respond to incidents such as the one at English Lake.
"If an emergency medical services (EMS) response is requested, the provincial medical transportation coordination center (MTCC) will send the closest available land and/or air ambulance resources," the statememt read.
"EMS and MTCC would coordinate and work with RCMP or local police, conservation and fire/rescue departments in order to reach the person in need."
It was ultimately RCMP who responded to the crash on their snowmobiles Sunday.
Officers said alcohol is not considered a factor in the crash. On Monday, police said the investigation was still ongoing.
The crash took place during International Snowmobile Safety Week, from January 16 to 24; a time when Snoman encourages members to ride safe.
