ST. GEORGE — A 60-year man is in critical condition following a mountain bike accident Monday at 10:50 a.m. when he went off the side of the JEM trail, east of Hurricane and LaVerkin, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s office. His name and hometown have not been released.
The male was airlifted by Intermountain Life Flight to St. George Regional Hospital after a two-hour rescue operation, Sgt. Darrell Cashin said. The area the man was in is past Hurricane on state Route 59, going toward Apple Valley, off of Sheep Bridge Road, Cashin said. The JEM trail is 6.7 miles in length and is primarily a single track known for its fast downhill, according to the Bureau of Land Management website.
“It looked like he missed the first or second switchback and went from there straight down to the bottom and landed on his head. So that’s why even with a helmet on, he never regained consciousness the whole time search and rescue were there,” Cashin said.
Another biker found the man and called for help. It took a while to get the male stabilized and find a place for Life Flight to land. Cashin said that the incident was about 100 feet from the top of the switchbacks to the bottom of the ravine.
“At this point, the only information I got since yesterday is that the biker was not doing well,” Cashin said. “And I do think he is local.”
Neither Cashin nor St. George Regional Hospital would confirm any further information.
Hurricane Valley Fire EMS and Washington County Search and Rescue responded to the incident.
This report is based on statements from court documents and law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.