Wayne County man killed in northern Michigan snowmobile crash

MONTMORENCY COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A man from Rockford died after he lost control and crashed while riding a snowmobile in northern Michigan on Wednesday.

Jacob Chandonnet, 38, was riding with his 58-year-old stepfather, Richard Tank, on Snowmobile Trail LP 9, north of Atlanta, Mich. around noon when Chandonnet lost control. He was ejected from the snowmobile and hit a tree.

The Department of Natural Resources said Tank was riding behind Chandonnet and did not witness the crash. When he got to the crash site, Tank called 911 and began performing lifesaving efforts until DNR conservation officers arrived.

An ambulance was unable to reach the crash site due to the snow. 

Montmorency County Sheriff’s Office deputies and a local first responder helped conservation officers transport Chandonnet off the trail using a DNR patrol truck while performing CPR and using an automatic external defibrillator. He was transferred to the care of EMS personnel before being pronounced dead by medical examiners while en route to a hospital.

Read more stories from around Michigan here.

This was the ninth snowmobiling death this winter in Michigan, the DNR said. Last winter, there were 13 snowmobiling fatalities, and 12 during the winter of 2020-2021.

The DNR urges snowmobilers to ride on the right side of the trail, ride sober, and ride at a safe speed appropriate for weather conditions and rider abilities.