Firefighters and search and rescue crews from Maple Ridge rescued a dirt biker who suffered a serious and painful injury on Monday.
The call came in at about 2 p.m. and both Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue and Maple Ridge Fire and Rescue sent crews to Blue Mountain where the injured biker was immobilized, and in extreme pain. Blue Mountain is a rural area northeast of Webster’s Corners, which has a large network of trails.
Rick Laing of RMSAR said the dirt biker had reportedly crashed, his body collided with a large boulder, and the middle aged man suffered what appeared to the first responders as a hip dislocation – a medical emergency that is generally the result of significant force, such as car accidents.
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Because the patient could not be moved without excruciating pain, the first responders decided to spare him travel in a vehicle on a Forest Service Road, and called on Talon Helicopters to airlift him out.
“Any movement at all caused a great deal of pain,” said Laing. “We decided to save him a trip out.”
The chopper landed on a forestry road, then transferred the patient to an ambulance waiting at Webster’s Corners.
Laing noted the man had originally set off on his own, but fortunately joined with other dirt bikers, who were able to help him, and call 911.
With any outdoor adventures, he said, it’s safer not to be alone.
“Tell someone where you’re going, and travel with a buddy,” he cautioned.
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