Central Okanagan Search and Rescue find injured mountain biker with help of app

KELOWNA – An injured mountain biker was rescued from a remote area of the Crawford trails near Kelowna overnight.

Central Okanagan Search and Rescue says due to the remote location in the Upper Mission, the team had to use multiple approaches last night, July 10, to get the injured biker to safety.

“The pair of mountain bikers was able to provide search and rescue with the GPS coordinates of their location using a popular mountain biking app called TrailForks,” search manager Ephraim Nowak says in a media release. “This allowed our team to quickly reach the subject, assess his condition, and stabilize him for transport.”

The rescue team first carried the injured biker on a stretcher then used a side-by-side utility task vehicle to get them to waiting B.C. Ambulance paramedics.

“The bikers were able to assist in their own rescue, simply because they took the time to familiarize themselves with the area and their equipment before heading out,” Nowak says.

The injuries the mountain biker sustained were not detailed in the release.

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