RANGELEY — A Maryland man was seriously injured Wednesday when he was thrown from his snowmobile when it hit a pressure ridge on Rangeley Lake, Cpl. John MacDonald of the Maine Warden Service said in a news release.

Mark Chase, 46, of Baldwin, Maryland was operating a 2017 Polaris Switchback 800 snowmobile near Hunter Cove when the accident occurred.

Other snowmobilers drove to get help. Chase was transported by NorthStar EMS Ambulance and taken by LifeFlight to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston for serious injuries, MacDonald wrote.

Chase was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. 

The Maine Warden Service reports that there have been several snowmobile incidents in the past week involving pressure ridges on local lakes and ponds. They urge riders to use caution while operating on any body of water and to always operate at a safe and prudent speed for trail and weather conditions.

Game wardens were assisted by the Rangeley Fire Rescue Department and NorthStar EMS personnel. 

Rangeley Fire Rescue Department assists at a snowmobile accident on Rangeley Lake in Rangeley late Wednesday morning. Mark Chase, 46, of Baldwin, Maryland, was seriously injured when his machine hit a pressure ridge, throwing him onto the ice, according to Cpl. John MacDonald, spokesman for the Maine Warden Service. (Rangeley Fire Rescue Department)


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