It's as much a part of a Canadian winter as snow itself, but some weekend tobogganing has left one man in hospital after he had to be rescued from a gravel pit.
The Talbot Pits are popular for winter recreation, are tough to access. Just ask the members of Musquash Fire and Rescue who were called there on Sunday afternoon when a man was in distress after a tobogganing accident.
“The gentleman was out sliding with his grandkids, went a little too fast and got thrown off and hurt himself,” said Philip Melanson, the Musquash deputy fire chief. “So we got a call to go get him out of the gravel pit.”
What followed was a challenging rescue operation.
The area is so remote, it can only be reached by off-road vehicles and snowmobiles.
Musquash fire used their ATV and a basket to retrieve the victim from the pit.
Melanson says this is his first rescue of a tobogganer.
For residents in the Musquash area, tobogganing, and outdoor recreational activities are part of the culture year-round. Sun or snow, they make the most of the weather conditions.
Volunteer firefighter Gilles Arseneault has lived here 47 years.
“We have recreation four seasons of the year, so it's always very active in the area,” Arseneault says.
He was beside the ambulance as the male victim was assessed.
His advice to those going outdoors for winter activities?
“Make sure that you're warm, and in retrospect, wear a helmet,” Arseneault said.
That’s wisdom that applies to outdoor safety, regardless of the season.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jessica Ng.
