Mountain Biker Rescue

Update by Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue

Trail Rescue 2/24/22 – Yesterday evening around 830pm, SBCSAR responded along with AMR and Santa Barbara County Fire to the report of a bicyclist about 100 feet over the side with injuries on Tunnel Trail in the Mission Falls area. Units responded to both the bottom and top of Tunnel Trail to make access to the injured rider, whom had been riding with 3 other people in the area.

Initial SAR teams gathered both medical and technical rescue equipment for what could have been an extremely challenging rope rescue operation to bring the rider back up to the trail. With the rider’s condition worsening, it was determined that an air asset would be the best evacuation for the rider. A request was made to Ventura County for a hoist aircraft and VCASU Copter 4 responded to assist. With the hiking distance to the remote location, the helicopter arrived on scene just before ground teams and inserted a medic at the patient’s location to evaluate. The decision was made for a quick evacuation of the patient and transport to La Cumbre Jr. High being the most suitable and secure landing area supported by Santa Barbara City Fire personnel and be transferred by AMR to Cottage Hospital.

After Copter 4 made the patient transfer, it returned to the scene to hoist the medic and two of the patient’s friends that had scrambled their way down to assist the injured rider before teams had arrived. Once hoisted, the additional two subjects were transferred to La Cumbre Jr. High for pick by relatives. Ground SAR teams hiked the remaining uninjured subject that had stayed above and the 3 bikes on the trail back up to Camino Cielo to the vehicle they had left parked. All SAR teams were out of the field and back in service by 1am Friday morning.

Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue is a professional, all volunteer and unpaid 501(c)3 organization that is community supported by generous giving to provide services to the County of Santa Barbara under the direction of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. To learn about supporting SBCSAR, please visit our website or reach out to us.

Photo: SAR