Accident knocks out mountain biker

Louise van der Voort
Louise van der Voort
Central Otago District Council planning and environment manager Louise van der Voort is in a stable condition in Dunedin Hospital after receiving serious injuries in a mountain-biking accident near Clyde at the weekend.

Ms van der Voort was one of two mountain bikers who crashed after running into a washout in Hawksburn Rd, between Bannockburn and Clyde on Saturday.

The road, which dates back to the Central Otago gold rush era, follows a line of pylons and is known to Central residents as the Pylon road.

Kieran Tohill said a group of four Clyde mountain bikers were about 10km from home when both he and Ms van der Voort crashed on the washed-out section of the road.

''We didn't see it until we were right on top of it,'' he said. Mr Tohill fell off and received cuts and grazes but Ms van der Voort was flipped backwards off her bike and knocked unconscious. She received head and back injuries, he said.

''I saw her fall as I was sliding and I was really concerned about her.''

Members of the group were all wearing bike helmets, he said. His was the only cellphone that had reception in the area.

The accident happened near Cairnmuir Creek where the road was impassable for the ambulance, so a four-wheel-drive vehicle transported ambulance staff the last kilometre or so to the site, Mr Tohill said.

Ms van der Voort was airlifted to Dunedin Hospital and she was in a stable condition last night in the orthopaedic ward, a hospital spokeswoman said.

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