Boy Breaks Neck In Sled Accident

A 14-year-old boy fractured his neck in a sledding accident shortly after noon Friday at Valley Mission Park.

Shawn Bos crashed head-first into a pole while riding on a sled made from two skis mounted on a board, Valley Fire District paramedic Terry Gese said.

The boy was transported to nearby Valley Hospital and Medical Center, where he is listed in serious condition.

When paramedics arrived at the park, they found Bos still lying next to the pole. Gese said the boy was vomiting, which is often a sign of serious head injury.

Bos told them he couldn’t move his arms or legs. During the ambulance ride, he told paramedics that he could once again move his arms. Bos also said he could feel, but not move, his legs. Gese said Bos was able to speak normally and didn’t appear to be disoriented.

Although Bos landed against a protective hay bale placed at the pole’s base by the county, the boy was apparently traveling very fast. Gese said the steep, tree-dotted hill at Valley Mission is notorious for sledding accidents.

Details are sketchy as to whether Bos was alone or with friends. The victim told paramedics that he was not in school because he was enrolled in an alternative education program.

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