Coquitlam SAR rides e-bikes to aid injured mountain biker

A mountain biker had to be rushed to hospital Saturday after suffering a concussion and neck fractures in a fall on Eagle Mountain.

The mountain biker also suffered a broken nose and a wrist fracture, reported Coquitlam Search and Rescue manager Wendi Harder.

“It was a big fall, hard hit,” she said.

The rider was doing the trail with a friend, Harder said.

“They looked well-prepared for what they were riding,” Harder said. ““Anything can happen when you’re riding.”

After getting the call shortly after 1 p.m., Coquitlam SAR’s e-bike team left Burke Mountain and headed toward the Couples Therapy trail on Eagle Mountain.

Meanwhile, Coquitlam SAR re-routed a helicopter to support the e-bike team.

“There were a lot of helicopters flying around the Lower Mainland [Saturday] for injuries,” Harder said.

Coquitlam SAR eventually landed a helicopter at Eagle Mountain Park, interrupting a pair of slo-pitch games.

“They graciously just putting the game on hold,” Harder said. “I think they were happy the last time we finally left.”

The Coquitlam SAR transferred the mountain biker to paramedics who took the patient to hospital.

Different seasons

While Saturday’s injury may have been a case of bad luck, Harder is reminding hikers to be aware that the seasons are changing.

“People need to remember that now we’re out of summer, going into fall,” she said, explaining some hikers seem unprepared for the darkness and cold of earlier sunsets.

Click here for more info on getting prepared for the backcountry.