01-03-03 City of Chetek, Barron County. 34 year old male. BAC was 0.155.
The victim was operating a 440-cc snowmobile and broke through thin ice on Prairie Lake while operating under the CTH D bridge in the city of Chetek. A fellow rider in the lead successfully passed under the bridge on the ice. The fellow rider looked back and did not see his partner. The fellow rider investigated and found open water and a floating helmet with no sign of the victim or his machine. The Chetek Fire Department Ice Rescue Team responded and recovered the victim from 14-feet of water approximately 30 minutes after the victim became submerged.

01-05-03 Town of Poygan, Winnebago County. 44 year old male. BAC was 0.085.
The victim was operating his snowmobile on the western side of Lake Poygan when it broke through thin ice and sank in 6-7 feet of water. A nearby fisher attempted to get as close to the victim as possible after hearing victim calling for help, but was unable to reach victim due to dangerous ice conditions. Using a cell phone, the fisher called 911 on the way to help the victim. The victim eventually went underwater and was under approximately 4-5 minutes when a rescue boat arrived. The victim was still alive, but unconscious and CPR was performed.

01-11-03 Town of Hunter, Sawyer County. 41 year old male. BAC was 0.062.
The victim's snowmobile fell through the ice into open water. The victim attempted to swim to safe ice until he physically became incapable. Two other subjects that were following the victim retrieved a rowboat and rescued the victim in the open water. The victim was unresponsive to CPR

01-17-03 Town of Presque, Vilas County. 54 year old male. BAC was .060.
Victim and friend were snowmobiling on Lynx Lake to return to the cabin that they were staying at. Victim was ahead of the friend and going quite a bit faster. Victim veered over toward the shoreline and was unable to stop before striking trees along the shoreline.

1-18-03 Town of Presque, Vilas County. 24 year old male. BAC was 0.0.
Victim was 3rd in line of 8 snowmobiles stopped in the middle of the road at the bottom of a hill. The second snowmobile was able to move to the right and stop to avoid the 1st. The victim operator of the 3rd snowmobile was able to avoid the 1st snowmobile but rolled the snowmobile and struck a tree along the road.

1-19-03 Town of Delevan, Walworth County. 42 year old male. BAC was 0.144.
The victim's snowmobile fell through the ice into open water. Unknown individual knocked on an ice shanty and stated that he had seen a snowmobile break through the ice. The person in the ice shanty and another individual walked toward the location where the snowmobile went down. The ice went from 8 inches to 4 inches about 50 yards from the hole in the ice. One individual (passenger) was found floating in the water. Victim was transported to Mercy Medical Center and treated for hypothermia. Victim was found by divers submerged in 37 feet of water.

1-21-03 Town of West Bend, Washington County. 21 year old male. BAC was unknown
As victim and friend were testing out a snowmobile on Big Cedar Lake the machine broke through the ice. Both riders ended up in the water. Operator was rescued by a nearby lake resident who heard cries for help. The passenger, a non-swimmer, was later recovered by a dive team.

1-25-03 Town of Hunter, Sawyer County. 43 year old male. BAC was 0.111
Victim was operating the second snowmobile in a group of four snowmobiles. The lead snowmobile approached a trail crossing with a highway and stopped at the top of a slope. Victim was operating his snowmobile at a high rate of speed over the embankment that caused the snowmobile to become airborne over the roadway. When the snowmobile landed on the frozen surface of the lake it rolled several times nearly end over end. Victim was thrown from the snowmobile and landed in a wetland fringe of the lake. Victim suffered an internal injury to a pulmonary artery on his heart causing massive internal bleeding.

2-01-03 Town of Friendship, Fond du Lac County. 36 year old male. BAC was 0.130.
The snowmobile victim operator was traveling along shoreline and hit a basketball-sized block of ice frozen to the lake's surface. The snowmobile then hit a small snowdrift and launched approximately 33-1/2 feet before landing. The victim was ejected and the snowmobile continued for approximately 74 feet where it stopped. Estimated speed was 60 miles per hour. Preliminary investigation suggests the victim suffered fatal neck injuries.

2-02-03 Town of Dale, Outagamie County. 15 year old male BAC was unknown.
The victim and friend, both juveniles, were headed north on the Wiouwash Recreational Trail when the sled came upon spring Road, which runs perpendicular to the trail. Preliminary investigation of the scene indicates the snowmobile left the ground as it crossed Spring Road, landing on the trail approximately 60 feet later and then skidding or tumbling another 120 feet to where it came to rest. Preliminary investigation of the scene indicates the victim suffered head and neck injuries. The passenger was injured and taken to Appleton Medical Center.

2-06-03 Town of Bailey's Harbor, Door County. 39 year old male. BAC was 0.205
The victim was operating his snowmobile across Kangaroo Lake and drove into an area of open water or minimal ice. Victim was able to climb our of the water and onto the ice and walked a distance of approximately three quarters of a mile across the lake towards his residence collapsing on the ice less than seventy yards from his residence.

2-06-03 Town of Lincoln, Forest County. 41 year old male. BAC was 0.225
Victim was first in line of a group of 3 snowmobilers traveling at approximately 50-60 MPH. The group was going around a gradual corner to the left when companions discovered the victim had missed the curve and went off the trail into some trees about 10 feet off the trail. Victim had apparent head injuries.

2-7-03 Town of Hazelhurst, Oneida County. 31 year old male. BAC was 0.193
Victim was traveling approximately 60-75 MPH when he veered to the right off the trail he was on and went down a steep bank. In doing so the victim went off the trail striking a tree.

2-8-03 Town of Grant, Clark County. 24 year old male. BAC was 0.152.
Victim was traveling on a snowmobile trail heading back to his parent's residence when he did not negotiate a turn in the trail correctly and struck a tree.

2-08-03 Town of Mountain, Oconto County. 28 year old male. BAC was 0.159
The victim was traveling a snowmobile trail and left the trail traveling a distance of 255 feet and striking brush before being impaled at a tree and large rock.

2-08-03 Lake Winnebago, Winnebago County. 22 year old male. BAC was 0.161
Victim was traveling along the lake shoreline when he struck a snow clump, that caused the victim to be thrown from the snowmobile. While lying of kneeling on the ice the victim was hit by another snowmobile traveling with the same group. Operator of striking snowmobile was under the influence as well with a BAC of 0.130.

2-08-03 Town of Lodi, Columbia County. 46 year old male. BAC was 0.030
A father, (victim), and son were snowmobiling on Lake Wisconsin. They became separated near islands on Lake Wisconsin. The victim went around on side of the island and his son the other side. The victim and machine were observed sliding on the ice after hitting an expansion crack. A call was made to Poynette EMS and Med flight responded as well as a warden and deputy sheriff. The victim died on 2-14-03.

2-09-03 Town of Tipler, Florence County. 33 year old male. BAC was 0.180
Initial investigation indicates that the victim traveled a short distance in the ditch area along the highway. It appeared that the victim's snowmobile was stopped or very nearly stopped and then rolled over down into the ditch. The victim had also rolled into the ditch and the snowmobile rolled onto the victim's head.

2-09-03 Town of Middle Inlet, Marinette County. 50 year old male. BAC was 0.125
The victim was operating a 700-cc snowmobile alone on a trail. The victim apparently lost control on a sharp curve to the left and rolled the snowmobile. The victim was found along the trail by other snowmobilers at about 9:30 PM. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

2-14-03 Town of Nashville, Forest County. 28 year old male. BAC was 0.166
The victim was 3rd in a group of 4 snowmobilers operating at high speed on a snowmobile trail. The victim apparently lost control after cresting a hill, veered off the trail and struck some trees that were 8 feet off the trail.

2-16-03 Town of Scandinavia, Waupaca County. 44 year old male. BAC was 0.187
A DNR Warden was notified that there had been a one-vehicle fatal snowmobile accident. An observer reported a body in the road and called for an ambulance. First responders found the man dead. It appeared the victim had been riding his snowmobile eastbound on an abandoned railroad grade that had been closed and was posted no trespassing. A cable was stretched across the grade with a piece of blaze orange PVC pipe on it. The victim hit the cable and traveled approximately 30 ft with the sled.

2-16-03 Town of Leon, Monroe County. 45 year old male. BAC was 0.033
The Monroe Police Department received a report of a snowmobile accident west of county Highway XX approximately .5 miles north of a tavern located in Cashton, Wisconsin. Deputies responded and located an unresponsive operator. The preliminary investigation revealed the victim failed to follow the marked trail and went airborne over the Little La Crosse River. The victim impacted a steep bank on the north side of the river before coming to rest in an agricultural field. First responders provided medical assistance. The victim was transported to the Franciscan Skemp Hospital in Sparta and was pronounced dead a short time later.

2-22-03 Town of Hiles, Forest County. 35 year old male. BAC was 0.230
Victim was leader of a group of 4 snowmobilers heading to a cabin from a tavern. Victim took a wrong turn down a road and by the time victim came back to the correct road the rest of the group had passed the victim. Group went looking for victim and found victim had crashed. Investigation indicated that the victim's snowmobiles right ski caught on unplowed snow and that caused the snowmobile to be pulled off the road and into the ditch and trees. Speed and alcohol appear to be the leading factors but still under investigation.

2-25-03 Town of Bayview, Bayfield County. 34 year old male. BAC was 0.197
Victim was found laying next to a tree approximately 5 feet 6 inches from the trail. Victim's helmet was already off. Based on the investigation of the scene it is believed that the victim was driving too fast on the trail and hit a tree with the left ski of his snowmobile, spun around, and continued to travel down hill on it's side.

3-01-03 Town of Bayview, Bayfield County. 35 year old male. BAC was 0.184
The victim had gotten ahead of his two companions on a snowmobile trail and when the companions caught up with him it was observed that he had driven off the trail and struck a tree. Initial investigation showed that the victim was traveling at a high rate of speed. The snowmobile left the trail and struck a tree with the right ski. The snowmobile was spun around and it is believed that the victim was thrown from the snowmobile and struck a tree with his helmet. Initial information from the coroner indicated that the victim suffered major trauma to the head but is still under investigation.

3-10-03 Town of Elcho, Langlade County. 30 year old male. BAC was not available
Victim was second in a group of 4 snowmobiles. The group approached a sharp corner to the right and the first snowmobile missed the curve and went off the trail. The victim also missed the curve and went off the trail into some brush and fell off as the snowmobile tipped on its side. The third snowmobile missed the curve as well as the fourth, with the fourth snowmobile hitting the victim.