Snowmobiler Dies After Falling Through Ice on Maine’s Moosehead Lake

A man died after his snowmobile fell through the ice on Moosehead Lake in Maine on Sunday night.

The Bangor Daily News reported:

Steven K. Allard, 56, of South Hampton, New Hampshire, and his wife, Tiffany, were returning to Rockwood Cottages after snowmobiling together on two separate machines about 9 p.m. when Allard broke through the ice near the mouth of the Moose River on the west side of the lake, according to Mark Latti, a spokesman for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Latti said rescuers pulled the unresponsive man from the lake at about 10:15 p.m. and transported him to a nearby hospital.

Tragically, Allard was pronounced dead not long after he arrived, according to KIRO.

Moosehead Lake is known as Maine’s largest and spans 40 miles long, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website.

“Snow and ice transform the Moosehead region into both a playground and a stunning winter landscape,” the region’s guide and map read. “Well-marked and groomed snowmobile trails spread out across the region and make the Moosehead area a major snowmobile destination.”

However, Sgt. Bill Chandler of the Maine Warden Service said using a snowmobile can be dangerous.

“Snowmobilers need to stay aware of their surroundings and understand that ice conditions can change quickly,” he commented.

“This section of the lake, where the Moose River flows into Moosehead Lake, always has poor ice, and that is why there are marked trails on the lake so that snowmobilers can avoid the bad ice in this area.”

Monday, the Rockwood Fire and Rescue wrote on its Facebook page that it was saddened by the recent loss of life.

“With cold weather Survival suits on and using the Rescue Alive sled the person was recovered quickly and moved to the waiting ambulance. The patient did not have a good outcome,” the post read.

“I want to thank the warden service, border patrol, and bystanders for all your help. Please stay on the marked trail if you do not know the lake.”