North Vancouver firefighters – and some Good Samaritans – were on hand to help after a local mountain biker crashed on the Bobsled Trail on Mount Fromme Sunday morning.
The accident happened about 11:30 a.m. when a man on a beginner spur trail lost control of his bike and crashed, hurting his chest and back, about 60 metres below the trailhead.
The man was helped out of the bush by other mountain bikers, who flagged down some people passing in a vehicle on their way down the mountain. They gave the injured biker a ride until they reached firefighters on their way up the mountain. After a medical check, firefighters determined it was safe to let the Good Samaritans deliver the biker to a waiting ambulance at the main trailhead.
The man who was “alert and breathing and in a lot of pain” was then taken to hospital to be checked, said assistant chief Jeremy Duncan of District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue.
Shortly after that, around 2 p.m. another call came in, this time for a hiker in medical distress on the Cedar Mills Trail.
Firefighters took a 4x4 truck part way up the mountain, then walked in to where the hiker, a man in his 30s, appeared to be suffering from dizziness, faintness and decreased consciousness, said Duncan.
Duncan said it’s unclear what was causing the man’s medical symptoms, but the hiker was able to walk out of the trail with assistance from firefighters.
A combination of beautiful weather and promotion on social media has drawn more people into the North Shore mountains in recent weeks, said Duncan. He added it’s important to anyone heading into the hills to be properly prepared
