Specialist equipment used to rescue mountain biker near Pontesbury
Specialist equipment was required for ambulance staff to get a mountain biker to hospital after he came off his bike near Pontesbury yesterday afternoon.
The 46-year-old man came off his mountain bike on a steep downhill track at Eastridge Wood, Habberley at 2.50pm.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Crews were called to reports of a 46-year-old man who had come off his mountain bike on a steep downhill track. It is believed he was thrown over his handlebars before colliding with a tree stump.
“He had suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder and suspected fractured ribs.
“Due to his difficult location, crews had to walk half-a-mile from the ambulance before finding the patient, who remained conscious throughout. They had to climb approximately 30ft up a 60-degree slope before being able to begin treating the man.
“He was initially put onto a scoop stretcher before the Trust’s HART team liaised with the fire service in order to establish the safest way to get the man back to the ambulance.
“Using a rope system, and after the man was placed onto a MIBS stretcher, he was carefully lowered down the descent to where the HART team’s Polaris six-wheel drive vehicle was waiting.
“After reaching the ambulance, the patient was taken to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for further assessment and treatment.”
Two ambulances, together with a paramedic officer in a rapid response vehicle and the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) attended the scene.
