Winnipeg snowmobiler dies in southeastern Manitoba in 4th fatal crash so far this year

A 52-year-old Winnipeg man is dead after he was thrown from his snowmobile while riding in southeastern Manitoba in the fourth snowmobiling death so far this year, RCMP say.

The snowmobile crashon a groomed trail near Woodridge, about 100 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg,was reported to police around5 p.m. Friday, RCMP said in a news release.

When Mounties arrived, the man was receiving emergency medical care, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators believe the man was at the back of a group of three riders when his snowmobile hit two bumps in close succession. He lost control and was thrown from the machine, RCMP said.

Police believe speed may have played a role in the crash;alcohol was not a factor.

'Shocking' number of fatalities

It's the fourth such death in 2023, said Manitoba RCMP media relations officer Tara Seel.

"One death is too many ... to have this many deaths on snowmobiles in such a short time period is quite shocking," saidSeel.

The other three fatal snowmobile crashes happened in Gypsumville, Steinbach andone north of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation.

There was also a close call on Feb. 3 when a snowmobile trail grooming machine plunged through lake ice near Ochre River. Two operators managed to get away from the incident unscathed.

Seel suggested there are higher rates of snowmobile deaths at the beginning of riding season and during warmer stretches of winter.Southern Manitoba has been ina stretch of unseasonably warm temperatures in recent days.

Seelreminds riders to keep an eye on their speeds, especially on unfamiliar trails, and to avoid drinking alcohol or consuming drugs before a ride.

Though substance use wasn't a factor in this crash according to investigators,Seel said riding under the influence issomething RCMP see often insnowmobile crashes.

Statistics Canada also released data last month that suggested more than half of Canadian snowmobile deaths were linked to substance use between 2013-19.

"You don't have the protection of an encased automobile, so it's easy to get ejected off a machine," Seelsaid.

"If you do hit an obstacle such as a tree or a dock in the in the lake ... the chances of you getting more seriously injured are far higher."