29-year-old dies after snowmobile hits tree on Arrowhead Trail north of Orr

A 29-year-old man from North Branch died after a single-vehicle snowmobile crash on the Arrowhead Trail roughly 25 miles north of Orr, St. Louis County. First responders and law enforcement were dispatched at about 10:08 p.m. March 5 after the rider became separated from a group and was reported missing by a friend.

Deputies with the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call around 10:08 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office timeline. The rider, who had been traveling with others before losing contact, was located approximately an hour after the initial report. He was found near his snowmobile and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators describe the incident as a single-vehicle crash. Authorities say the rider appears to have failed to navigate a 90-degree turn on the trail and collided with a tree, and that no other riders were involved. The collision and the remote location on the Arrowhead Trail contributed to the delay between the time the rider was reported missing and when he was found.

The man’s name has not been released. Authorities are withholding his identity pending notification of next of kin, and no further personal details have been provided by investigators as they complete their notifications.

The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office are continuing to investigate the crash. As of this reporting, officials have not released a cause of death from the medical examiner, nor have they identified whether alcohol, speed, mechanical failure, or trail conditions played a role in the collision.

Local snowmobile traffic on the Arrowhead Trail drew emergency response from county deputies and first responders late on March 5, and the investigation remains active. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office are the primary agencies handling the ongoing inquiry and will release additional information when family notification and preliminary findings are complete.