BANDY CREEK — National Park Service rangers, Scott County Rescue Squad and Scott County Ambulance Service personnel worked for several hours Saturday to rescue a mountain biker following an accident along a trail in the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area near here.
The accident occurred along the Grand Gap Loop, one of the five mountain biking trails in the Big South Fork NRRA that draw an “epic” rating from the International Mountain Biking Association.
Joe Cross, president of the Big South Fork Bike Club and the engineer of several bike-specific trails in the BSF, said in a Facebook post that he and two other mountain bikers who just happened to be at the trailhead at Bandy Creek were able to help locate the injured rider, who was riding solo, after which BSF Ranger Kristy Slaven led first responders to the location.
The rider suffered a broken ankle and was transported out of the backcountry by rescue squad and EMS personnel, then transported to Big South Fork Medical Center ER by ambulance.
“I am thankful that my buddy’s injury was not life-threatening, and I will spend a little extra time today being thankful for our local first responders,” Cross said. “And I will also send in a donation to our local rescue squad. The rescue took about five hours, but to the responders, it was just another day at the office.”
The rescue squad is actively soliciting donations from the public, after the coronavirus pandemic cost them most of their fundraisers for the 2020 calendar year. Currently, the squad is selling rescue squad support decals, two for $5. The decals can be purchased at the Scott County Visitor Center in Huntsville.
