A Family Day event at Alberta Beach turned tragic when a 41-year-old man from Sherwood Park died after the snowmobile he was operating collided with a parked truck on Sunday.
Recommended Videos
According to RCMP, at roughly 10:30 a.m., officers were called to Alberta Beach after a report of a collision between a snowmobile and a parked vehicle.
“Unfortunately, the rider was declared dead on scene,” said Alberta RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinkoff on Tuesday.
“It’s a very tragic and sudden death. It appears it was some kind of accidental situation where the snowmobile suddenly accelerated and ultimately collided with the parked vehicle, resulting in the death.”
Alberta Beach holds the annual SnoMo Days event, featuring snowmobile rallies, ice skating, monster trucks and fireworks over the Family Day weekend.
Savinkoff confirmed this incident didn’t happen during any of the races the man was attempting to move his snowmobile to another area during the festivities.
“There was no indication that he was driving dangerously at the time,” said Savinkoff.
“He started up the machine and was going back to a certain area, and it all of a sudden accelerated quite quickly, and unfortunately, he wasn’t wearing a helmet.
“These are powerful machines, and it shows that you have to always be prepared, even if you’re just moving it from one location to another. You’re not properly protected like you would be in a vehicle. When things go wrong, there’s a strong likelihood it can end tragically.”
Alberta Beach is located approximately 70 km northwest of Edmonton. For a village of fewer than 900 residents, an incident like this impacts everyone in the community.
“Without question, it’s a tragedy,” said Alberta Beach Mayor Kelly Muir.
“These are the types of events that small communities are built upon and you use to grow and bring everyone together. To have something like this happen, the only word you can use is a tragedy.
“It’s such a close-knit community. It sends shockwaves that reverberate through the community, and it’s one of those situations that there are so many people involved, it causes people to reflect and think this could’ve easily been me or my neighbour, and that’s why it hits so hard in a small community.”
Muir didn’t attend the event but received word from a town employee on Sunday of the fatality.
Postmedia has learned the victim’s identity is Michael Moore of Sherwood Park. His father, Greg Moore, made a post on the Alberta Beach SnoMo Days Facebook page, confirming his son’s death.
“Unfortunately, my son Michael Moore lost his life today due to a tragic accident,” wrote Moore.
“Thank you to the RCMP, peace officers and fire department who came to help with Mike. You guys were amazing.
“I lost my son today. He was my best friend, and we have been doing this for a long time. Unfortunately, things happen and sometimes tragic.
“This was his final ride today. We both love this and he passed doing what he loved. Father and son forever. Love you Mike, you were always my best friend and the most awesome son ever.”
Postmedia reached out to a SnoMo Days event organizer who declined to comment.
Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters.
You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post, and 13 other Canadian news sites. The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun