Todd Palin was in
intensive care at an Alaska hospital after the accident on
Sunday, an aide to the former Alaska governor said, adding she
had been on the phone with doctors and family members all
morning.
Palin, who has endorsed Trump, had been scheduled to campaign
for him later on Monday in The Villages, Florida.
Florida is one of five states holding nominating contests on
Tuesday for the Nov. 8 election.
Trump campaign officials said Palin was returning to Alaska to
be with her husband. They said they looked forward to her being
back on the campaign trail soon and that Trump's thoughts and
prayers were with the Palin family.
Before being able to catch a flight to Alaska, Palin stopped at
a town hall-style event for Trump in Tampa, telling the crowd:
"Thank you guys for your prayers for my husband who is
recovering right now in ICU after a little wreck on a snow
machine."
Trump, taking the stage after Palin, said: "Her husband is a
tough cookie but when you're too tough, you break ribs every
once in a while."
Palin, Republican Senator John McCain's running-mate in the 2008
presidential election won by Democrat Barack Obama, held a
separate campaign rally for Trump in Florida on Sunday.
Todd Palin, 51, is a veteran participant in Alaska's 2,000-mile
(3,200-km) Iron Dog race involving snowmobiles that takes place
each February, according to the race's website. The contest
features about 40 two-man teams. Palin has been on a winning
tandem three times, most recently in 2007, race organizers said.
While competing in 2008, Palin was injured when his vehicle
struck a snow-hidden barrel and he was thrown some 70 feet (20
meters), the Alaska Dispatch News reported, adding he was not
seriously injured.
(Additional reporting by Steve Quinn in Juneau, Alaska, and
Mohammad Zargham in Washington; Writing by Eric M. Johnson;
Editing by Sharon Bernstein and Peter Cooney)
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