Rescue helicopter attended a mountain biking injury at Summerhill Mountain Biking Trails in the Bay of Plenty.
Video / Rodney Albertyn
An injured mountain biker rescued by helicopter from the Summerhill Mountain Bike Trails on Sunday morning was flown to Tauranga Hospital.
Rodney Albertyn was out riding with a friend around 11am when they came across the injured man and his two riding companions.
“There were three Japanese – two menand one of their sons. They were down here from Auckland practising for the Aims Games,” Albertyn said.
“It was a slippery day out there and the coach came off around one of the corners and injured his leg quite badly. It looked to be a really severe ankle injury.”
“The helicopter returned, picked them both up and lifted them out.
“She said it was a three-minute flight back to Tauranga Hospital.”
Albertyn said the boy then cycled out of the park with his father.
“It happened about 10 to 15 minutes’ cycle from the main carpark.”
The crew member and injured mountain biker being winched up to the helicopter. Screenshot / Rodney Albertyn
Albertyn said it was “awesome how they [rescue helicopter team] came, and they did a great job”.
The day had started out fine and sunny, but the track proved to be deceptive.
“We were all commenting beforehand on how slippery the track at Summerhill was,” Albertyn, who mostly goes mountain bike riding in the Redwoods and occasionally at Summerhill, said.
“Even though it wasn’t raining, there was residue from previous rain. We were slipping all over the place.”
Summerhill, a 126ha property in the Pāpāmoa Hills, comprises farmland, community spaces and hiking and cycling trails. Mountain Bike Tauranga has established 30km of mountain bike trails, ranging from grade 3-5, attracting intermediate to advanced riders.
A membership fee funds the upkeep of the trail network, which is open seven days a week from dawn until dusk.
The rescue helicopter hovering above the mountain bike trail at Summerhill. Screenshot / Rodney Albertyn
An agreement with the Summerhill Charitable Trust ensures all trails meet national standards, are well signposted and safely maintained.
Mountainbike Tauranga posted to its Facebook page that it was a busy weekend with a swap meet held on Saturday followed by an Aims Games XC course working bee today.
Hato Hone St John was notified of the incident at 11.18am and dispatched one helicopter.
“One patient was airlifted to Tauranga hospital,” Hato Hone St John said.
