"I am sure that your above comments would be much different if one of them were your son, brother etc... post something constructive based on your knowledge that would perhaps benefit a present or future forum member reading here from making the same tragic mistakes as these people unfortunately did."

Even if they're not saying aloud, the families of these young people are probably all thinking the same thing: "HOW COULD THEY HAVE DONE SOMETHING SO STUPID?!"

They were old enough to know what the dangers were, that they were outside the allowable boundaries, that many other people have died under similar circumstances, and they did it anyway.

They are probably ardent posters on snowmobile forums, had read lots of items about snowmobilers caught in avalanches, but KNEW that it couldn't happen to them. And some of their friends and acquaintances who are mourning them are quite likely to do the same exact thing. Whether they die or not is purely a matter of chance.

Even watching a friend or family member die is not enough to prevent people from following them into oblivion. It just doesn't matter what they read, what they are told, or what they see personally, they KNOW IT WON'T HAPPEN TO THEM.

Sue