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LOGAN — Cache County deputies said a 13-year-old boy is lucky to be safe and alive after driving a snowmobile into a 20-foot-deep sinkhole.
The incident happened in the Peter Sinks area, a popular for snowmobiling, but it is known for having sinkholes.
“It's actually one of the bigger ones that's up there, it's about a 25 to 30 foot deep hole," Cache County Sheriff's Lt. Doyle Peck said.
According to Peck, the 911 call came in around 2:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon indicating someone was stuck in a sinkhole in the mountains.
Peck later discovered the victim was a boy, and his snowmobile was bent in half at the bottom of the hole.
"He was pretty lucky he was wearing a helmet," Peck said. "I spoke with the father; it was a full-faced helmet and he actually broke the chin part of it when he hit the bottom of the hole, so he hit pretty hard."
Even before search and rescue crews could arrive though, efforts were already underway to pull the boy out using a rope: "His father was up there with him and some friends, and they were able to talk to him,” Peck said.
An ambulance picked the boy up from the nearby parking. He is currently recovering at home Friday with some minor injuries.
Deputies say the snowmobile is still at the bottom of that large sinkhole. They also indicated that several sinkholes, including that one, are usually marked but that they hadn't marked them yet this season.
"Usually the best thing to do is to be aware of your terrain, know what's coming up," Peck said.
