Firefighters Rescue Crashed Cyclist From Temecula Valley Mountain Bike Trail

TEMECULA, CA — A cyclist who crashed riding on a remote mountain trail in the Cleveland National Forest near Temescal Valley on Thursday suffered injuries that required a remote rescue operation, according to the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.

Just after 3:30 p.m., Cal Fire /Riverside County firefighters responded to a remote area just west of Temescal Valley, off of Indian Truck Trail.

Crews were sent to the location and hiked several miles up the trail. There, they found the downed cyclist, who suffered moderate injuries in the crash.

Attempts were made to dispatch a sheriff's helicopter or a Cal Fire chopper crew to the site to perform a hoist rescue and expedite recovery of the cyclist. Still, rapidly deteriorating weather conditions prohibited them from flying, according to reports from the scene. Orange County Fire Authority also offered a helicopter crew to assist in the rescue.

Shortly before 5 p.m., ground crews located the victim and provided medical care in the field. Then, they assisted him down the trail to a designated meeting point, where he was transferred to a ground ambulance and taken to a local hospital for treatment.

No other details, and the cyclist’s identity, were not immediately available.