A mountain biker was carried off the trails on a spine board yesterday afternoon after falling off his bike and hitting a tree.
The 52-year-old man, from Calgary, was with a group of bikers on the Ridgemont Trails when he fell while riding downhill on the R Trail.
He went over the handlebars and hit a tree, injuring his hip and back, and was not able to move. His friends called 911 and because of the location, Fernie Search and Rescue were called to recover the man.
“We were able to drive up the Ridgemont hill and leave our truck there,” said Simon Piney from Fernie Search and Rescue. "Then seven of us headed up the trails to find the biker.
“Because of the way he had fallen, we were concerned for his back, even though it was mainly his hip giving him pain, so we decided to put him on a spine board.”
The Search and Rescue members were also able to give the man Entonox, commonly known as laughing gas, to help with the pain. Several Search and Rescue members qualified to administer the gas last year.
“The training certainly paid off for this man,” said Piney.
The man was carried down to the truck and taken to hospital where he had X-rays and will be sent for a CAT scan.