Yellowstone National Park officials say a 35-year-old Air Force Master Sergeant has died in a snowmobile accident in the park.
The woman, Sandra Bryant, was stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho and was on a guided snowmobile trip with her husband on Sunday when the accident occurred shortly before 11 a.m.. The group, which was sponsored by the base, had started the day trip in West Yellowstone.
Investigators say the couple was heading east from Norris towards Canyon when Ms. Bryant somehow lost control of the snowmobile, ran off the road and crashed into some trees, flipping the snowmobile end-over-end in the process. While she was trapped between the machine and the trees, her husband, who was seated behind her, was thrown clear. He was transported to an Idaho hospital where he was treated for undisclosed injuries and released.
Apparently, the couple was either at the end or near the end of their group, as the rest of the 18 riders didn't realize there had been an accident and continued on towards Canyon. Ms. Bryant's husband was able to flag down a passing snowcoach driver, who radioed for help.
Yellowstone officials say this is the first snowmobile-related fatality in the park since 1997, and just the seventh in the past 30 years.
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