A central Minnesota snowmobiler crashed while riding in a watery ditch, got out of the wreckage and walked about a mile before collapsing in the middle of the road, authorities said.

Brian A. Kokesh, 47, of Palisade, Minn., was in critical condition Thursday morning at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) in Minneapolis, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

Kokesh was riding in the ditch along County Road 32, about 7 miles west of Aitkin, when he crashed, the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office said. A soaking-wet Kokesh, in snowmobile-riding garb, climbed out of the ditch and walked about a mile north along the road.

A passerby called 911 about 4:10 a.m. Wednesday and reported seeing Kokesh down in the middle of the road and unresponsive. An ambulance took him to a nearby hospital, and he was later flown to HCMC.

“Kokesh’s wife had reported him missing to Aitkin County authorities earlier in the evening as he was overdue from a snowmobile ride,” a statement from the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office read.