Teen at snow safety event suffers head injury in sledding accident, Utah officials say

A 16-year-old boy hit his head while sledding at a Utah reservoir during a snow safety event, officials told news sources.

“He hit the ground a couple of times and knocked himself out,” onlooker Ashleigh Neider told KSL. “I instantly went up and his head was bleeding, so my friend took off his sweatshirt and I just held his head as he was bleeding and kept him comfortable.”

Medical and emergency personnel were already on hand at Tibble Fork Reservoir in American Fork Canyon to warn people about the dangers, the Gephardt Daily reported.

“The ambulance was already on scene,” Lone Peak Fire District Capt. Jameson Bangerter told the publication. A helicopter later airlifted the teen to a hospital in stable condition.

The crews handed out free helmets and safety information to sledders, KSL reported.

“Just be safe on the hillsides,” fire Capt. Brandt Godwin told KSTU. “Know what you’re up against when you’re sledding, wear the proper safety equipment and know how fast you’re going so you can give yourself plenty of time to stop.”

The teen was not wearing a helmet, officials told the station.

Tibble Fork Reservoir, southeast of Salt Lake City, is a popular sledding spot in the winter, KSTU reported.

“Every year, we’ll see a handful up to a dozen accidents,” Bangerter told the Gephardt Daily.

Natalee Wells, one of the people at the safety event, suffered serious injuries in a sledding accident at the reservoir two years ago, KSL reported.

“I don’t remember the accident and I don’t remember the few days following it,” Wells told the station. She spent a week in the hospital with broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a skull fracture.

This story was originally published January 23, 2022 at 10:36 AM with the headline "Teen at snow safety event suffers head injury in sledding accident, Utah officials say."