Penticton and District Search and Rescue mobilized 20 personnel on Monday to evacuate an injured cyclist in Naramata.
PENSAR received the request around 9 p.m. to assist the evacuation of a 44-year-old male cyclist who was injured while biking on the Three Blind Mice trails.
“This task proved to be extremely arduous to not only access, but also from an evacuation point of view and we were very fortunate to have two (Penticton and Area Cycling Association) members to guide us as the subject,” said Dale Jorgensen, manager in charge of operations for PENSAR. “With the terrain being difficult, darkness, slippery slopes from the rain and the injuries of the cyclist we did consider at one time spending the night with the subject and then calling in for air support to evacuate as first light. However, we were fortunate to have enough resources on hand that we were able to load the subject into one of our stretcher capable side by sides UTV’s and then carefully guide the evacuation team down safely from the trails to an awaiting ambulance by midnight.”
PENSAR responded with three rescue vehicles, two UTV’s and were guided on the trails to the injured cyclist by two (PACA) members.
Jorgensen said PENSAR personnel divided into two groups, one hiking in and the other driving the UTV’s. The initial response group located the injured cyclist at 10:30 p.m. where he was being attended to from his wife.
