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A family in La Broquerie is coming to grips with a fatal Boxing Day snowmobile accident that claimed the life of a “hands-on dad” in the town southeast of Winnipeg.
Casey Pauls, 41, was clearing a trail with his snowmobile so his partner, Ally Plett, could pull their 10-month-old son Ozzy around the yard in a sled.
Plett’s sister, Britt Andres, says the snowmobile’s throttle got stuck, causing Pauls to lose control of the machine. He crashed into an embankment on the opposite side of the road.
“Nothing can prepare you for a loss so great,” Andres said during a Monday telephone interview. “It has definitely been a very challenging few days.”
An RCMP release says the collision happened shortly before noon. Pauls, who was not wearing a helmet at the time, was flown to hospital by STARS Air Ambulance where the Mounties say he died of his injuries. However, Andres says he died in an ambulance on the way to the flight.
Andres has set up a GoFundMe page to help support her sister and her son. Nearly $40,000 has been raised since it was posted on Dec. 27 .
Andres says they set out with a goal of $10,000, but she and her sister are speechless at the support.
“She’s very thankful. She has been very blessed in the midst of her pain and suffering,” Andres said. “She feels very blessed by just everyone who has stepped up — the community, friends, family.”
Pauls and Plett were having a fun time outside, enjoying time off from his work at CN and spending time with family, Andres says.
He shared his love of music with his son by playing guitar and drums with him., Andres says, adding he was a talented, hardworking person.
“He was this salt of the earth kind of guy … a real cheerleader who showed up for his friends and family,” Andres said. “I really believe that he is going to be remembered for how he lived … with such integrity and intention and such a love for his friends and family.”