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Nanaimo cyclist rescued from trail

A young cyclist is expected to make a full recovery after crashing during downhill races on Mt. Prevost.

About a dozen members of the South End Fire Department and an equal number of search and rescue volunteers took part in the rescue of the unnamed 17-year-old from Nanaimo.

The injuries were not believed to be serious, but for precautionary reasons, the cyclist was strapped to an all-terrain stretcher and wheeled down the steep trail to a waiting ambulance.

The initial prognosis turned out to be accurate, according to Robin Dutton, owner of Cowichan Cycles, which organized the event.

"It turns out he wasn't really injured that badly," Dutton said. "He'll recover 100 per cent."

The cyclist chatted and joked with his rescuers as they brought him down the mountain.

"He was conscious coming down," South End chief Rob Mac-Dowell confirmed.

According to SAR team leader Andrew Higginson, Cowichan Search and Rescue is involved in such rescues about twice a month. He was impressed with the way his group and the firefighters were able to work side-by-side.

"It was a great team effort on an interagency rescue to ensure the safety of an injured individual," he said.

This was the first time in three years of the Mt. Prevost Downhill that emergency responders had to be brought in, Dutton said.



Kevin Rothbauer

About the Author: Kevin Rothbauer

Kevin Rothbauer is the sports reporter for the Cowichan Valley Citizen
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