New signs help paramedics find injured snowmobilers

New reflective blue signs along popular snowmobile trails in Waterloo Region will improve snowmobile safetyby helping paramedics locate injured riders when they call 911.

The signs erected by the Golden Triangle Snowmobile Associationare located at intersections wherea snowmobiletrail meetsa road. They identify the crossroad, the county and the nearest intersections information snowmobilers may not know if they are in unfamiliar territory.

"I've been on many calls in my career where we're just sort of told to go to a general area while they continue to work with the caller to try to figure out where they are," deputy chief of Waterloo Region's paramedic services Robert Crossan said in an interview with CBC News.

"People are just calling and they're like, 'I really don't know where I am. We've been in a collision. My friend looks hurt. Come get us.' That is very challenging."

400 signs to be installed

Crossan saidWaterloo Region seesat least five serioussnowmobileaccidents every year.And in some cases, the time wasted trying to track people down can befatal.

"Last year, up near Listowel, they had a situation up there where a man and his wife were out and she got hurt. He went to the road and 911 response personnel couldn't find them, and she ended up dying at the scene," RonHorstwith the Golden Triangle Snowmobile Association said.

More than 400 signs are being installed on groomed trails across Waterloo Region,Perth Countyand Oxford Countypaid for by the snowmobile association.