"I was driving pretty quick on my dirt bike and instantly got flung off and rolled backwards onto my ankle," he said.
"I struggled to breathe and then realised a wire had been tied from two trees across the path.
"I could've died if it hit my neck first on first impact instead of my upper chest."
Stacy Howie suffered a sprained wrist, swollen ankle and cuts and bruises to his neck, shoulder and chest. Photo / Supplied
Howie was mystified as to why someone would put riders in danger. He said his family and friends often used the tracks, but had never come across this.
"I cut the wire down so it can't harm anyone else. But there could be more."
"To be quite honest I'd love to get my hands on them," Howie said.
"They are makeshift tracks, but it's all public access and friends and family of mine have been riding there for years." Chris Dolley, the HBRC asset management group manager, said the council is "appalled" at what happened to Howie and will act with urgency to establish what has happened.
"Unfortunately this area is well known for antisocial behaviour and this sort of thing is very concerning," he said.
