Snowmobiler hits tree near Wanoga, flown to hospital

A Bend woman on her first snowmobile ride crashed into a tree near Wanoga Sno-Park Sunday morning, triggering a rescue effort, highway closure and a helicopter flight to St. Charles Bend, where she remained in fair condition Monday, officials said.

Deschutes County 911 dispatchers got a call just before 11 a.m. Sunday from Mckenzie Broassard, who reported the injury crash near the 124 junction of snowmobile trails 2 and 3 out of the sno-park. He told dispatchers the snowmobiler, Katie Polachek, 35, had “moderate injuries” and needed assistance, said Deputy Jeff Winters, assistant coordinator of Deschutes County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue.

Search and Rescue was activated and deployed a team of five volunteers and a deputy with snowmobiles to the sno-park. Once at the crash site, they evaluated her injuries.

A medic unit from Bend Fire & Rescue was standing by at the Wanoga parking lot and determined that due to the nature of her injuries, which were non-life-threatening, Polacheck would need to be taken to the hospital by air ambulance, Winters said.

AirLink was activated, but due to fog in the area of Wanoga’s parking lot, they had to choose an alternate landing zone at a lower elevation, Winters said. Two Forest Service law enforcement units closed Highway 372 (Century Drive) around 1:30 p.m. so AirLink could land.

Meanwhile, Polachek was treated at the crash scene by SAR volunteers, then take by snowmobile ambu-sled to the Wanoga parking lot, where she was transferred into the waiting ambulance, then taken down the highway to the waiting helicopter.

“The main contributing factor causing the crash appears to be inexperience,” Winters said in a news release.