Man critically injured in snowmobile accident

    A Grafton man remained in critical condition Tuesday after being injured in a snowmobile accident Friday night, Feb. 29, on Clear Lake.
    Scott Paulson, 39, was apparently thrown from his snowmobile after hitting a snow drift on the Ventura end of the lake, said Randy Schnoebelen, of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.   A 9-1-1 call was sent out at 10:09 p.m. Friday when Paulson was found unresponsive on the ice.  
    According to Schnoebelen, Paulson was following another snowmobiler heading west on the lake. The other rider, Robert Quinlan of Swaledale, noticed Paulson was not behind him and went back to locate him.  He found his friend lying a distance away from his sled, unresponsive.  
    Garner Ambulance transported Paulson to Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa.  
    Schnoebelen said Tuesday he had not yet interviewed Paulson, but his preliminary investigation suggested he was thrown from the snowmobile after hitting a drift.  Both snowmobile riders were wearing helmets, he noted.
    “The late season snow can be very hard and people have to be careful and watch their speed, especially at night,” said Schnoebelen.