A 70-year-old man seriously injured in Whakarewarewa Forest
was given a "fighting chance" after a passing mountain biker
performed CPR before paramedics arrived.
The Englishman remains in a critical condition in Waikato
Hospital's intensive care unit after he fell from his bike on
the Dipper mountain bike trail about midday on Wednesday.
It is believed he braked suddenly approaching a downhill on
The Dipper and went over the handlebars.
Mountain Bike Rotorua director Tak Mutu said he was alerted
to the mishap by a friend.
Mr Mutu said the incident highlighted the need for first aid
equipment to be kept at his business.
The company, based at the Waipa car park, has seven staff
qualified in pre-hospital emergency care who know the trails
and access points and, because of its location, is often the
first to hear of accidents in the Whakarewarewa Forest.
Mr Mutu said two staff were already at another accident where
someone had a possible neck fracture when the call came in
about the man.
"I got a call from a friend who said the guy was in really
bad shape."
Mr Mutu said when he got to the accident site the helicopter
had arrived and another mountain biker had started CPR.
"He was doing everything he should have done," Mr Mutu said.
"He did a great job.
"He gave this guy a fighting chance of living." Mr Mutu said
the trail the man was on was an easy track.
The Dipper is a family-friendly Grade 2, 2.5km trail.
St John crews stabilised the man at the scene before he was
flown to Rotorua Hospital by the BayTrust Rescue Helicopter
before being transferred to Waikato Hospital later in the day
by the Westpac Waikato Air Ambulance.
Last month, MBR and local mountain biker Wendy Ardern started
a fundraising effort to buy first aid equipment to be kept at
the business because of its "unofficial" role in responding
to accidents in the forest.
They are trying to raise $6000 to $7000 to buy new
stabilisation equipment, as well as pain relief such as
oxygen, something to shelter injured riders and, ideally, a
defibrillator.
Mr Mutu said the incident highlighted the need for such
equipment.
"It highlighted that the gear is necessary and it needs to be
there."
- Daily Post
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