Sledding accident in Weber Canyon sends 8-year-old to hospital

KAMAS, Utah — An 8-year-old boy is in stable condition after his sled crashed into a parked snowmobile near Smith and Morehouse Reservoir, authorities said.

The incident occurred Tuesday on Weber Canyon Road, about 1.5 miles from the reservoir turnoff.

Initial reports to emergency services suggested the boy was operating a snowmobile, but authorities suggest poor cell reception in the area was the cause of confusion.

“Luckily, we did get some bad information, just given that there’s no cell phone service,” said Sgt. Skyler Talbot of Summit County Sheriff’s Office. “A lot of it was being relayed from people who weren’t actually there. Come to find out the child was actually sledding. It’s still not great that the child was injured. But, considering the mechanism of injury wasn’t a huge machine like that is definitely a plus.”

The boy, who was sledding with a group, was airlifted to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City via AirMed before deputies arrived at the scene.

The child underwent emergency surgery for head trauma but his injuries are not life-threatening, Talbot said.