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Injured 71-year-old mountain biker rescued from Okanagan trail

Vernon firefighters assisted with the rescue in Ellison Provincial Park
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Vernon firefighters using a fat tire to help transport a patient out of Ellison Park June 4, 2020. (Contributed)

Vernon firefighters assisted in the rescue of an injured 71-year-old mountain biker in Ellison Provincial Park Thursday afternoon.

Vernon Fire Rescue Services responded at approximately 1:15 p.m. June 4, after the woman suffered a crash on the Ellison Connector Mountain Biking Trail, about six kilometres from the parking lot.

Seven firefighters were on scene to assist the patient who suffered undetermined injuries. Crews used a spine board, basket stretcher and a fat wheel to transport the patient to an ambulance in the parking lot.

“The fat tire is a brand new piece of equipment we’ve recently added to our toolkit,” said Deputy Chief Dwight Seymour. “It actually went into service within the last couple weeks and proved to be an exceptionally helpful tool with today’s rescue.”

After two and a half hours, the patient was transported to hospital by BC Ambulance Service. She appeared to be “in good spirits,” according to the on-duty captain.

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Brendan Shykora
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Brendan Shykora

About the Author: Brendan Shykora

I started as a carrier at the age of 8. In 2019 graduated from the Master of Journalism program at Carleton University.
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