A 60-year-old man is expected to make a full recovery after crashing his dirt bike in a remote location near Kamloops this week.
However, the RCMP says it could have been a much worse outcome for the man if not for the efforts of many people involved in the rescue.
The crash happened in the Duffy Lake Mountain area around 1 pm on Monday, April 13.
Riding in an area with limited access, the dirt biker crashed and fell around 12 feet down an embankment before stopping on a cliff face.
Cpl. Dana Napier says it was “a multi-agency response” between the RCMP, BC Emergency Health Services and Kamloops Search and Rescue (KSAR).
Fortunately, the Tk’emlúps Rural RCMP detachment had a police medic working at the time, who hiked several kilometres to locate the rider.
The man was suffering from lower leg fractures and other critical injuries, and Napier said “the outcome for the injured rider could have been much different” if not for the police medic’s intervention.
“Due to the remote location, it was essential that first responders provided life saving medical care while Kamloops Search and Rescue was instrumental in the coordination of the extraction,” added S/Sgt. Del Byron.
Air Rescue One Heli Winch Society (AROHWS) provided the helicopter to evacuate the man from the area, but it certainly didn’t happen right away.
Byron says the man was provided with treatment on the ground for eight hours while rescuers hiked in with essential equipment for the extraction.
The Tk’emlúps Rural RCMP detachment thanked BC Emergency Health Services, KSAR and AROHWS for their work during the response.
The injured man also gave his heartfelt thanks on a KSAR post about the task.
"I’ll never be able to give enough praise and respect for everyone involved," he said. "They are all amazing people. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
