Family, friends mourn loss of ‘man of excellence’ in freak snowmobile mishap

A southern Manitoba family is grieving the loss of a new father, killed in a freak accident on Boxing Day when his snowmobile malfunctioned and launched him into an embankment.

Casey Pauls, 41, was using the machine that morning to groom a trail around his property in the RM of La Broquerie so his partner could pull their 10-month-old son, Ozzy, on a toboggan. The throttle became stuck and caused the vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably over a roadway as his family watched nearby, said his widow’s sister, Brittany Andres.

Pauls, who was raised in Steinbach and worked for CN Rail, is being remembered as a “man of excellence” beloved by his friends, family and community, Andres said.

“He was just the kind of person who always showed up. He was an incredible human, a hard worker. He was such a devoted dad to his little baby and such an amazing partner to my sister,” she said.

“Everything he did, he did with care for his family, his home, his friends and everyone around him.”

She described Pauls as a funny, kind and approachable person with a zest for life.

When their child was born, Pauls helped his partner Ally Plett, 28, through labour and delivery. In his spare time, he enjoyed playing guitar and drums, and he looked forward to sharing that passion with his son, Andres said.

“He will be remembered very much for how he lived with intention, with integrity and just a deep, deep love.”

Manitoba RCMP said officers responded to the collision shortly before noon, and found Pauls suffering critical injuries. They provided him with emergency care before a STARS Air Ambulance transported him to hospital and he died.

He was not wearing a helmet, RCMP said.

Andres stressed Pauls was a responsible snowmobile rider.

“It was a very tragic mechanical failure and that launched him into the ditch, into the trees. He was on his yard, not planning to drive fast, or be reckless. He just wanted to make a path and do something nice for his family,” she said through tears.

“The snowmobile travelled nine metres past where he was thrown, and so it was just going on its own.”

RCMP data shows Pauls was the fourth person to die in a snowmobile collision this year, and the 28th killed since 2020. During that period, the province has averaged about five deaths annually, with a high of nine fatalities in 2020 and a low of one last year.

Of the riders killed since 2020, 11 people were wearing helmets and 12 were not. It is unknown whether riders were wearing helmets in four collisions, and one crash involved a pedestrian who was struck by a snowmobile, RCMP said.

Yvonne Rideout, executive director of provincial snowmobile group Snoman, urged all riders to exercise caution and wear protective gear when operating machines, even during short rides.

“We always say to ride within your ability, which I am sure he was. It’s unfortunate that the throttle stuck,” she said of Pauls. “I can totally see what he was trying to do to make a fun Christmas.”

The death marks a tragic start to the Manitoba riding season. The province boasts 13,000 kilometres of groomed trails, the first of which officially opened on Christmas Eve, Rideout said.

Andres said Pauls’ widow and son have experienced an outpouring of support in the wake of his death. A GoFundMe fundraiser launched the weekend generated nearly $40,000 within two days.

The funds will help cover Pauls’ funeral and his family’s immediate living expenses, she said.

“It is just such a blessing that in the midst of such a loss, that people are trying to fill the gap where they can,” she said. “We don’t know everyone who is giving, and I think that is just such a testament to the community, and also the man that Casey was and just how much of an impact he had on the people who were in his life.”