Riding with four other snowmobile drivers Friday near the Fish Creek Reservoir northeast of Carey, Kenneth Kowitz, 57 of Rupert was killed when his machine struck a rock at a high rate of speed, said Blaine County Deputy Sheriff Gene Ramsey.
"He and the machine flew 162 feet," Ramsey said, explaining that the investigation showed that Kowitz and the machine flipped separately through the air.
Ramsey said the accident occurred at about 4:30 p.m. north of the reservoir in Iron Bog Creek about 14.2 miles out Fish Creek Reservoir Road, northeast of Carey. Ramsey said police were notified about the accident at 5:40 p.m.
Ramsey said Kowitz may have succumbed to a head injury. "There was some black debris at one place in the snow. It looked like it came from the helmet."
The snowmobile Kowitz was riding was a newer Ski-Doo Summit 800, the deputy said.
Initially, a snowmobile rescue was organized. Rescue organizers called in snowmobiles from the Blaine County Sheriff's Office, Bellevue and Sun Valley, Ramsey said. He added that a life flight helicopter called to the scene had to set down after dark on the reservoir road with mechanical difficulties.
According to the original report, Ramsey said that as other rescuers were en route to the accident, Carey Quick Response reported that CPR was performed on Kowitz who showed shallow breathing. A Wood River Fire and Rescue ambulance transported Kowitz to St. Luke's Wood River Medical Clinic where he was pronounced dead.
Rasmussen Funeral Home in Burley is organizing memorial services.
