Bike veers off embankment, trapping rider 125 feet down mountain, Utah rescuers say

A dirt bike rider became trapped down a rocky mountainside after a frightening fall off a Utah trail, rescuers said.

The 30-year-old man and a friend were riding on Skyline Drive, a scenic 23-mile trail in Bountiful, Utah, on Saturday, Aug. 31, when he accidentally drove the bike off a steep embankment, Davis County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue said in a post on Facebook.

The man’s friend saw him go over the ledge and immediately stopped and climbed 125 feet down the rocky hillside to help, the sheriff’s office said.

Lowering himself to where his friend was, he saw he was alive but in serious trouble, according to the sheriff’s office.

Not only was he seriously injured — with a broken leg and numerous lacerations — he was also trapped. They called for help.

Davis County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, the fire department, public safety and paramedics all rushed to the area.

Rescuers “assembled a rope system and made their way to the injured biker who was conscious and breathing,” the sheriff’s office said.

The injured rider was freed and hoisted from the mountain side via a helicopter, the sheriff’s office said. He was taken to a waiting ambulance and transported to a local hospital.

According to the post, rescuers assembled a second rope system to help the man’s friend get back up the embankment.

This story was originally published September 6, 2024 at 6:20 PM with the headline "Bike veers off embankment, trapping rider 125 feet down mountain, Utah rescuers say."