Two children were injured in separate sledding accidents Tuesday afternoon in Rock Canyon Park in Provo.

Gary Jolley, a Provo fire battalion chief, said that at about 4 p.m. Tuesday a boy who is 4-7 years old was injured while sledding. He was taken to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo and was in critical condition. His name hasn't been released, and neither is information about his status once he got to the hospital. Jolley said the boy survived his ambulance ride to UVRMC.

The boy hit a tree, according to firefighters.

A second child, a girl about the same age, also hit something while sledding at Rock Canyon Park about an hour later. She was taken to the same hospital. Jolley said she was not seriously injured.

"Everybody needs to use caution and just be aware of their surroundings and look for those obstacles," Jolley said. "It's an accident. There's not a lot you can do to prevent an accident because it just happens."

According to the National Safety Council, every year there are about 33,000 sledding injuries and 1,500 from tobogganing. Children who are 5-9 years old are the most susceptible to injury.

The council has a list of tips to make sledding and tobogganing safer:

• Keep all equipment in good condition. Broken parts, sharp edges, cracks and split wood invite injuries.

• Dress warmly enough for conditions.

• Sled on spacious, gently sloping hills that have a level run-off at the end so that the sled can come to a halt safely. Avoid steep slopes and slopes near streets and roadways.

• Check slopes for bare spots, holes and other obstructions that might cause injury. Bypass these areas or wait until conditions are better.

• Make sure the sledding path does not cross traffic and is free from hazards such as large trees, fences, rocks or telephone poles.

• Do not sled on or around frozen lakes, streams or ponds because the ice may be unstable.

• The proper position for sledding is to sit or lay on your back on the top of the sled, with your feet pointing downhill. Sledding head first increases the risk of head injury and should be avoided.

• Sledders should wear thick gloves or mittens and protective boots to protect against frostbite as well as potential injury.

• Brittani Lusk can be reached at 344-2549 or at blusk@heraldextra.com.