(01/29/19) - A Birch Run man received minor injuries after crashing his snowmobile into a concrete barrier.
The Saginaw County Sheriff's Office reports the accident happened Monday around 2:45 p.m. on the Saginaw River, along Wickes Park Drive in Saginaw.
Lt. Mike Gomez said the 24-year-old man was trying to go up the banks of the river in an area where there's an old boat ramp. Instead he struck a concrete barrier.
The impact threw the man from his sled, resulting in a bloody nose and damaged teeth. His injuries are considered minor.
Gomez said there are not any official Department of Natural Resources snowmobile trails in the county.
"Saginaw County is not really snowmobile friendly," Gomez said. "That's why so many people ride the river, thinking that it's going to be safe, it's going to be smooth, there's nothing there. There's things there, it's just under the snow."
But just like in the summer time, the Saginaw River during the winter can be tricky to navigate.
"Whatever was floating in the river, logs, debris, whatever was floating in the river when the river froze is still there," Gomez said. "hey have to understand that it's not what you see is what you get, because the snow is going to cover imperfections."
Gomez asks that snowmobiles ride with caution. Sledding here is not like what you'll experience up north.
"Trails are groomed, trails are cleaned you know in the northern counties where you know it's a tourist thing," Gomez explained.
To learn more about snowmobiling in Michigan click on the 'Related Link's with this story.