Tragedy struck in Lac Simon on November 17 when two Cree girls lost their lives in a snowmobile accident.
The incident occurred after dark at around 6:40 p.m., as a young local man took the girls and the little brother of one of the girls on a ride after one of the season’s first snowfalls. The accident occurred just outside the community on a trail that leads to the lake.
The snowmobile wasn’t traveling overly fast, but suddenly a loader loomed up in front of them and the driver couldn’t avoid it. The children were all in the sled; only the little boy had a helmet on.
One of the girls, Mary Trish Beverly Happyjack Wabanonik, 11, died upon impact from head injuries. Crystal Mianscum, 11, died on her way to hospital also with head injuries.
Her brother, aged 8, was seriously injured and his arm was amputated in a hospital in Montreal. The driver suffered a broken rib and arm.
The families of the girls are concerned about helping the driver, who was apparently very troubled by what happened, and they want to support him in this difficult time.
