In less than three weeks, HIFR has done three difficult trail rescues for mountain bike crashes. Each of these rescues involves at least eight rescuers, and they usually last about four hours. Two of the patients were flown off via helicopter with serious injuries. All of these crashes were on stunts.
With the cooperation of Hornby Island Mountain Biking Association, the HIRRA trails committee, and the Comox Valley Regional District, we will be making the following closures:
- the gap jump on “Devil’s Kitchen”
- a barricade and warning has been placed at the entrance of “Your Mom”
- “Dylan’s Drop” road gap
- Various other unsanctioned features will have additional warning signage.
The closures will be in effect until the pandemic is at a place where our volunteer trail rescue crew doesn’t have to wear shields, masks, and gloves, and spend additional hours decontaminating our equipment. These rescues are particularly hard on our volunteers because of the number of people required, the time involved, and the secondary trauma resulting from dealing with these severely broken people. The extra effort required to avoid being infected with COVID-19 pushes these rescues to the limit of what our people are prepared to do on a regular basis.
Please help our volunteer trail rescue crew by riding within your abilities and avoiding high-consequence routes.
Good call! Thank you to the trail rescue crew for all your good work!
I agree. It is not appropriate this summer for off-island risk seekers to put this load on our local volunteers.