Durban – A mountain biker who fell off his bike on Petrus Stroom Road and injured his head was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition on Monday.
According to Midlands EMS spokesperson Roland Robertson, Midlands EMS Howick’s advanced life support ambulance was dispatched for a mountain bike accident.
“On arrival it was found that one patient was in critical condition and required urgent advanced life-support treatment,” he said.
Robertson said reports at the scene revealed that the man was cycling down a road when he hit a hole and was thrown off his bike.
He said the man sustained head injuries.
“A decision was made on scene by paramedics to airlift the patient,” said Robertson.
Robertson further explained that due to the road terrain and the nature of the man’s injuries, he could not be transported to a hospital by road.
“A Netcare 911 helicopter was activated to the scene and the patient was placed on a ventilator before being airlifted to hospital for further care,” he said.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident, IOL reported that a 14-year-old teenage girl was left in a critical condition following a bike accident last week.
According to Netcare 911, she had been riding at Hobby Park in Paardeplaats, Krugersdorp, when she hit a rock and fell off her mountain bike. The incident took place just before 6pm.
Spokesperson Shawn Herbst said they responded to a fall on an off-road mountain bike trail.
“Reports indicate that a female had come off her bike, sustaining suspected spinal and head injuries.
“On the paramedics’s arrival, they found that the handle bar of the bike had impaled the young girl in the right thigh, leaving her in a serious condition.
“The young lady was treated on scene by Netcare 911 emergency care practitioners while bystanders dismantled the bike.”
Herbst said that due to the time-sensitive nature of her injuries, a Netcare 911 helicopter ambulance was activated to airlift the patient through to a specialised trauma facility.