SGT. 1ST CLASS THOMAS STULGINSKI
A Company, 1st Battalion, 223rd Aviation Regiment
Fort Rucker, Alabama

It was a nice, brisk New Year’s Day in upstate New York. The temperature was about 20 F — pretty warm for that area in January. I looked out the window and saw the sun glistening on the mounds of snow that covered our six-acre yard. After cooking breakfast for my wife and daughter, I asked if anyone wanted to ride in my deer sled pulled by the four-wheeler. My daughter, who was 5 at the time, immediately jumped at the opportunity with a big smile on her face. That smile wouldn’t last long.

She ran over to our neighbor’s house to ask her friends if they wanted to join her on the sled. Of course, they were game, so I headed to my shed to warm up the four-wheeler and get the sled prepped and tied to the tow hitch. As I walked to the shed, I noticed the snow on the ground was very hard. The temperature had risen slightly the previous day and, instead of snow, we had some light freezing rain. I thought to myself that it would be painful if someone fell and slid across this snow. Looking back, I wish I’d chosen to forego the sled ride.

I jumped on the four-wheeler and rode around to break up some of the hardened snow and make a trail through the yard. Once I finished, the girls, all bundled up in their snow gear, came running over for their ride. As I pulled them along, the girls were having a blast. I could hear them laughing and carrying on the whole time. After a few passes on the trail, I started to get more comfortable pulling them. Their confidence in the sled grew as well, and they kept asking me to go faster. Not wanting to disappoint them, I increased the speed. Every time I gave it a little throttle, the girls’ laughter and smiles grew.

By now, the trail we were riding on had become nice and compacted, and the sled was whipping around the corners. Everyone was having a good time. The snow on the outside of the trail was about a foot and a half taller than the track itself, with nice, compact sidewalls. At this point I figured the girls were safe because there was no way the sled would tip over. I was wrong.

I went into one of the curves too fast and the sled slammed into the sidewall, slinging out the girls. My daughter’s friends immediately jumped up and laughed uncontrollably, which was a relief. Unfortunately, my daughter was not as lucky.

When the sled tipped over, she flew through the air and did not have time to cover up before she hit the ice-covered track face first. I jumped off the four-wheeler and was sprinting toward her when she stood up, crying hysterically. My stomach dropped when I saw the road rash covering the entire right side of her face. I scooped her into my arms and trudged through the snow back toward the house.

Panic was setting in and I ran into the house yelling to my wife to get the first aid kit. When she saw our daughter’s face, she immediately went into mommy mode and calmed her down so we could clean and bandage her face. All I could think was I had physically mutilated my beautiful daughter and she would have to live with the scars on her face that daddy caused. Fortunately, she healed up well and there are no visible traces of the injuries she suffered that day.

According to a Nationwide Children’s Hospital study, more than 20,000 children younger than 19 are treated for sledding injuries each year. The National Safety Council offers the following tips to help keep your children safe:

• Make sure all equipment is in good condition, free of sharp edges and cracks.


• Sled on spacious, gently sloping hills with a level run-off at the end so the sled can safely stop.


• Check slopes for bare spots, holes and obstructions such as fences, rocks, poles or trees.


• Do not sled on or around frozen lakes, streams or ponds.


• Riders should sit or lay on their back on top of the sled with feet pointing downhill. Never sled head first.


• Dress warmly and wear thick gloves or mittens and heavy boots to protect against frostbite and injury.

My family was lucky that day. Incorporate risk management into all of your off-duty activities, even those in the snow. Sledding is supposed to be fun, not life threatening.