What happened on the trail
The girl was riding in a sled being pulled by an adult on cross-country skis when the adult, trying to control the sled's speed on a slope, lost balance and fell on her, causing a traumatic brain injury.
Response times under scrutiny
Coroner Francine Danais's report paid close attention to how long it took emergency crews to reach the girl after she was hurt. According to a Canadian Press report carried by Yahoo News Canada, it took first responders nearly 30 minutes to reach the injured girl, another 30 minutes to get her to a waiting ambulance, and 18 more minutes to reach the nearest hospital. Le Droit reported slightly different figures, putting the delay at roughly 25 minutes from the initial 911 call to reaching the child, another 28 minutes before she reached the ambulance, and a further 20 minutes to arrive at hospital.
Danais wrote that it is impossible to determine whether the earlier arrival of emergency services could have prevented her death, though she said it would "undoubtedly have increased her chances of survival." The coroner said the circumstances raise broader issues about trail user safety, trail navigation, and the training and equipment available to off-road rescue teams.
The eight recommendations
She also called for measures aimed at improving user safety, particularly around equipment towed by skiers, such as sleds, and the wearing of protective helmets.
What it means for local skiers
The recommendations don't carry legal force, but they typically prompt parks and trail operators on both sides of the river to review their own safety protocols and rescue readiness ahead of the next ski season.
Sources: Yahoo News Canada (CP wire), Le Droit
