SALIDA, Colo. – A man was killed after his snowmobile flipped over and pinned him as he was recreating near the summit of Cottonwood Pass Tuesday, according to a spokesperson with the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office.
The man, identified as 68-year-old as Robert E. Welland, was recreating in the backcountry with a group of people when the accident occurred around 11:09 a.m. Tuesday.
Chaffee County Search and Rescue and Chaffee EMS responded to the area and witnesses told them they were all snowmobiling when Welland “went out of sight from the group,” according to a news release.
“When a group member went back to find Welland he found his machine overturned resting on top of the victim,” the news release states. “The other rider pulled the machine off of the victim and CPR was started until EMS arrived.”
Deputies said the victim was transported out of the area and the Chaffee County Coroner transported the victim to the coroner’s office in Salida.