A snowmobiler has died after losing control of his sled and hitting a tree on a Quebec trail

MONTREAL -- A snowmobiler died Wednesday evening, a few hours after hitting a tree in Mandeville, in the Lanaudiere region, about an hour-and-a-half northeast of Montreal.

For a still unknown reason, the victim lost control of his sled on the way to Lac Sainte-Rose Nord. He was accompanied by another snowmobiler when the emergency services were notified Wednesday around 4:30 p.m.

"According to initial information, a snowmobiler lost control of his snowmobile before hitting a tree. The man in his 50s suffered serious injuries and was transported to the hospital where unfortunately his death was confirmed," said Surete du Quebec (SQ) spokesperson Sergeant Catherine Bernard. "An SQ collision investigation police officer was dispatched to the scene to clarify the circumstances surrounding the event."

The victim is a 56-year-old man from Contrecoeur, in Monteregie.

-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2021.