Four Wheel Drive Enthusiasts Assist Injured Mountain Biker in Corral Canyon
ALONG THE CORRAL CANYON TRAIL - Jim and Liz Cowling, of Chula Vista, members of Four-Wheel Drive Clubs and the San Diego 4-Wheelers, thought this recent Sunday would be a quiet day for four-wheeling when they pulled into the Four Corners parking area, which serves as a staging site for the Corral Canyon Off-Highway Vehicle area.
"We were in the process of airing down the tires on our Jeeps," said Jim Cowling, "when a motorcyclist rode up to us and asked if we had a cellular phone." The motorcyclist explained that a mountain biker had just taken a fall futher down on the trail and he appered to be seriously injured.
Using the Cowlings cellular phone, the motorcyclist called 911 to requiest a helicopter; however, the dispatcher on the other end explained that they could not send a helicopter without confirmation of the person's condition.
"While a fire truck was being dispatched from a local fire station, my wife and I proceeded about six miles down the trail to the accident site," Cowling said. "When we got to the scene it was clear that this young man was indeed in serious shape." Jim Cowling said that it appeared the mountain biker, who was trying to catch up with his friends, had hit a six-inch deep eroded gully and he hit the ground face first. The bike frame was broken into two parts and the injured man was losing a considerable amount of blood.
"At that point, there was very little we could do for him except cover him and try to keep him from going into shock," Liz Cowling said. "Because of the rugged terrain, it took fire department personnel about 30 minutes to arrive at the scene where they could administer first aid and begin evacuation out of the canyon."
After assessing the mountain biker's condition, the fire department team called for helicopter support.
"Since there were no adequate landing sites near the accident scene, we volunteered to transport him in our Jeep Cherokee," Jim Cowling recalled. "With a fireman attending him, I began a very slow drive to the makeshift landing pad." Moments later, Cowling said, the helicopter arrived and immediately dispatched paramedics to administer to the young man's needs.
The Cowlings have subsequently learned that the injured mountain biker is still in the hospital today with a broken back and serious facial injuries; however they feel fortunate that they were in the "right place at the right time" and perhaps saved him from paralysis and other life-threatening injuries.
"What we did was a very small role in the total rescue effort," Jim Cowling said, "but I think it shows that four-wheelers are a very caring group of enthusiasts and when we were able to team up with 911, it made this a successful team rescue effort."
Story originally published in the Winter, Issue No. 13 1997/98 "Green Sticker Vehicle".
Last Updated March 1, 1997