District of North Vancouver firefighters were called out Tuesday morning to a trail rescue of a 37-year-old mountain biker who went over his handlebars and landed on his face on Mount Seymour’s Pangor Trail.
Two brothers in their 30s were out mountain biking on the trail when one man either failed to navigate a turn or went over a jump and landed on his head.
“His helmet was smashed up,” said Assistant Fire Chief Jeremy Duncan of District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services. “He had pain in his neck and back.”
Firefighters put the injured mountain biker into a full-body immobilizing vacuum splint and seven of them carried him out to Mt. Seymour Road, where he was transferred to an ambulance and taken to Lions Gate Hospital for X-rays.
“His face was pretty banged up,” said Duncan.
Duncan said firefighters used gloves and other protective equipment and kept a safe distance during the rescue – as much as possible while carrying a stretcher.
While provincial parks – including Mount Seymour – are closed, “some of the other trails that link up to these trails are open,” said Duncan.
Duncan said the men reported having ridden the trail several times previously.
