Helicopter to the rescue after forest mountain bike crash

A RESCUE helicopter had to be brought in to pull a badly injured mountain biker to safety yesterday.

The 40-year-old man was in a group of three on the Dalbeattie Forest mountain bike trail, one of the 7stanes centres in South Scotland.

The man from Wales, who has not been named, came off his bike more than a mile from the finish of the trail.

He suffered head and back and possible spinal injuries.

Two friends who were with the victim managed to alert the emergency services by mobile phone.

However, due to the remoteness of the scene of the accident in the forest, the ambulance was unable to get to the man and paramedics had to walk to where the victim had been thrown off his bike.

The cyclist was given painkilling injections as the group awaited the arrival of a Royal Navy Sea King Rescue helicopter HMS Gannet.

A medic was lowered and the man was then airlifted 20 miles to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary.

A Dumfries and Galloway 
Police spokesman said: “The man fell of his mountain bike and suffered head and back injuries.

“Because the ambulance was unable to get to the scene it was decided to call in the rescue helicopter.”

The Dalbeattie part of the 7stanes – seven mountain biking centres spanning the south of Scotland – attracts hundreds of people each year.