NOME, Alaska — An infant died while traveling with his family from Teller to White Mountain for the Valentine’s weekend basketball tournament on February 12.
“There was a parent and children riding in a sled that was being towed by a snowmachine,” said Beth Ipsen, a spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers. “He was actually riding in his mother’s jacket. It was not a traditional-type parka, but they got to a point, checked on him, and found that he was unresponsive.”
CPR was performed on the six-month-old baby, but it was unsuccessful. The baby’s body was sent to Anchorage for an autopsy.
Ipsen said it’s still unclear whether the jacket contributed to the baby’s death.
“No foul play is suspected at all,” she said. “People travel this way a hundred times a year and unfortunately, this once, something tragic happened.”
A similar accident took place last year when a child from Golovin died while traveling with family to the same basketball tournament.
Scott Sample is a Chief Ranger for the National Parks Service. He leads snow patrols on federal lands in six of Alaska’s national parks and preserves.
For long-distance snowmachine travel, Sample recommends that someone other than the driver carry small children. That way, a passenger can frequently check on a baby.
“People sometimes swing the baby in the rear or sometimes hold it to the front. Both have worked for a long time, but the benefit of the front is that you can look down through your parka, see the child, and have some type of face-to-face with it,” he said.
He said travelers should slow their snowmachines down if children are traveling with them. He also recommends driving a vehicle built for multiple passengers.
