MONTREAL, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Two separate snowmobiling accidents during the weekend in Quebec left one rider dead and another missing for almost 24 hours, officials said.
Pierre Brillant, of St. Pascal, was riding his snowmobile Friday night when a moose crossed his path, The (Montreal) Gazette reported.
Brillant drove under the moose and suffered a severe head injury, said Surete du Quebec spokesperson Sgt. Claude Denis. He was pronounced dead later at a local hospital. The moose was uninjured in the incident.
On Friday afternoon, another snowmobiler, a man in his 60s, went missing north of Lac St. Jean. Provincial police were notified at 2:15 a.m. that the man had not returned home. He was finally located around 3:45 p.m. Saturday, Quebec police officials said.
"We don't know yet whether he was found on foot or on his snowmobile. ... Apparently he went off the track and got stuck," Sgt. Bruno Beaulieu said Saturday.
The incidents came just ahead of International Snowmobile Safety Week, which started Sunday and continues through Jan. 19. The week is aimed at reminding snowmobilers to take safety precautions, such as respecting signs and laws, not snowmobiling after dark, and never driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
