Boy, 9, dies when snowmachine falls into crevasse

PAXSON — A snowmachine crash that claimed the life of a 9-year-old Fairbanks boy Saturday is being described as a tragic accident by Alaska State Troopers.

The body of Shjon Brown was recovered at about 12:40 a.m., Monday buried beneath his snowmachine under 6 to 8 feet of snow after it fell into a crevasse Saturday afternoon about five miles northwest of the Arctic Man festival in the HooDoo Mountains, troopers report.

The crevasse, estimated to be about 200 feet deep, was hidden from normal view, said AST spokesperson Megan Peters.

“Anyone could’ve driven into that hole, and it’s just really sad,” she said.

Brown was snowmaching with his father at the time of the accident, AST reports, and was wearing proper safety equipment, including a helmet and goggles. Peters also said there is no indication the boy wasn’t properly supervised.

“It’s not like this was a child that was unattended,” she said. “He was there with his dad, they went snowmachining and this could’ve happened to anybody.”

After being notified of the accident about 3:30 p.m., Saturday, rescue personnel located the snowmachine and believed Brown was trapped underneath, a theory that was confirmed when the boy’s body was found Monday morning.

Along with Alaska Wildlife Troopers, the U.S. Army black Rapids high angle rescue team responded, AST reports.