Ponder Teen Caden Nowicki Dies After Kayak Sledding Accident

 PONDER, TX — A tragic winter‑storm accident has claimed the life of Caden Nowicki, a 17‑year‑old senior at Ponder High School and member of the football team.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Nowicki was riding in a kayak being towed by an all‑terrain vehicle (ATV) along the 400 block of Amyx Hill Road around 2:30 p.m. Monday. The kayak left the roadway, ejecting him into a fence. He sustained life‑threatening injuries and was airlifted to Medical City Denton, where he remained in critical condition until his death Thursday, confirmed by head football coach Marcus Schulz.

The driver and passenger of the ATV were not injured, DPS said, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Nowicki was remembered by teammates and classmates as a leader on and off the field, with the school community rallying around his family in the days following the crash. A GoFundMe campaign raised more than $45,000 by Friday to support the Nowicki family.

This tragedy comes just weeks after a similar accident in Frisco, Texas, where two 16‑year‑olds died while riding on a sled pulled by a Jeep, underscoring the dangers of improvised sledding activities during winter storms.

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