WHOOPS! 56-Year-Old Mountain Biker Airlifted to Hospital withSuspected Spinal Injuries (UK)

http://iwcp.co.uk/news/news/mountain...tal-60587.aspx

Mountain biker airlifted to hospital

By Jon Moreno

Friday, June 20, 2014

A MOUNTAIN biker from the Isle of Wight was airlifted to a mainland hospital after he was injured while riding in Brighstone Forest last night (Thursday).

Paramedics with the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service and a team from the Needles Coastguard Rescue Team walked 200m into the forest to reach a 56-year-old man after they received an emergency call from a fellow biker at around 6.30pm.

They stretchered the Bembridge man, who had suspected head, neck and spinal injuries, to a field at the edge of the forest to rendezvous with a coastguard rescue chopper, scrambled from Lee-on-the-Solent.

The casualty was taken to Southampton General Hospital.

Ray Morey, of the Needles Coastguard Rescue Team, said: "The man used tracks popular with mountain bikers and one jump he had attempted got the better of him.

"The paramedics got to him first, but we went in to help stretcher him out of the forest. We understand the man was taken to Southampton, rather than St Mary's Hospital, Newport."

Reporter: