An 18-year-old man from Motley has died in a snowmobile crash in Wadena County on Saturday afternoon, while riding a snowmobile for the first time.

According to a release from the Wadena County Sheriff’s Office, dispatch received a 911 call reporting the snowmobile crash on the river just north of the Wahoo Valley Bar & Grill. The caller stated CPR was in progress.

Once law enforcement and medical personnel arrived on scene, they learned that Paul Weston Peterson had just been at the Wahoo Valley Bar & Grill with his family and they were leaving the restaurant to continue riding.  Peterson took off before the rest on his 2000 Polaris 600XSSP snowmobile. He was found crashed on the river less than a minute later by his father. Lifesaving efforts were not successful and Peterson was pronounced dead on scene.

The release states that Peterson was wearing a helmet and alcohol wasn’t a factor in the crash.

The Wadena County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Minnesota State Patrol, Staples Ambulance, Staples First Responders, North Air Care, Brenny Funeral Home, Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office and K&K Towing.

By — Malaak Khattab

News Reporter