A cyclist is recovering in hospital after he was injured in a fall on a bike trail in East Clare last night.
The Killaloe unit of the Irish Coat Guard was tasked to assist the National Ambulance Service after alarm was raised shortly before 9.00pm.
It was reported that a person had been involved in an accident on the mountain bike trail 1km up the Ballycuggeran Forest track towards Moylussa mountain.
The first Coast Guard response vehicle, with access keys for the barrier, reached the scene at 9.10pm just 10 minutes after being alerted. Once access was gained, the ambulance was able to make its way up the track towards the casualty’s location.
Once crews arrived at the mountain bike trail they had a challenging hike with equipment to reach the casualty. When they located the man, they found he had sustained a leg injury and was unable to move.
National Ambulance Service paramedics assessed and stabilised the injured man while a Coast Guard team prepared to stretcher the casualty back down the mountain bike trail.
After a 30 minute decent in dark and challenging conditions, the crew reached the ambulance shortly after 10.00pm.
The casualty was transferred to University Hospital Limerick for treatment.
A Coast Guard spokesperson said: “We wish the causality a speedy recovery. We would also like to remind all walkers and mountain bikers that Coast Guard units are on hand to assist on land and water. Units are equipped with All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), 4×4’s and trained personnel who can provide assistance to anyone who needs help while out walking or biking. Call 999/112 and ask for the Coast Guard.”
The Galway Mountain Rescue Team was also tasked to the incident but later stood down.