Community mourns death of ATV rider in Saskatchewan

Tyler Willer's friends say he died doing what he loved riding off road vehicles. The 23-year-old died in an ATV accident outside his farm between Limerick and Congress, Sask. on Sunday night.

"Tyler was an outgoing, outside, fun loving kid," said Devin Cranfield, a long time friend of Willer.

Cranfield grew up on a farm six and a half kilometresaway from Willer. They met when their families would snowmobile together.

Off road vehicles were a big part of Willer's social life. He met alot of his friends while riding snowmobiles and dirt bikes.

"That's what they did when they got together," Cranfield said.

On Sunday night Willer was in a two seat ATV with a friend. They drove into a dugout, and Willer wasn't able to escape the vehicle.

"This wasn't caused by negligence in any way, it wasn't caused by reckless driving in any way," Cranfield said. "He was driving into his yard and there was what they thought was a slough, had a dugout in the middle of it. They went in laughing, they thought it was water."

Saskatchewan's seventh death from an ATV collision this year

This is the seventh death from an ATV collision to happen in Saskatchewan this year. That number has been similar each year since at least 2010, when the province had eight deaths resulting from ATV collisions.

"There's a large number of ATVs out there," Marchand said. "People definitely do need training."

The regulations vary across Canada, particularly when it comes to whether children can operate ATVs.

"For example Quebec, you can't ride, even on your own property if you're under the age of 16," Marchand said."Other provinces will allow it at 12, but with training. Other provinces have little or no requirements and they can ride as young as six, as long as it's an appropriate child size ATV."

In Saskatchewan people must be 16 years old with a drivers license to operate an ATV. People under that age can operate one if they are accompanied or supervised by someone with a driver's licence.

Marchand would like to see all provinces have mandatory helmet regulations for operating an ATV off road, and have all people operating ATVs get training and permits for operating the vehicles.

Cranfield said safety concerns are difficult to apply to Willer, who was an experienced rider and knew how to navigate terrain.

"It wasn't any sort of stunting or high risk activities involved," Cranfield said.

He said he's not blaming the ATV activity, and that he and others in the community with continue to use off road vehicles.