A mountain biker died Saturday after helping carry emergency equipment to a group of hikers suffering from dehydration in San Diego County.
A group of bikers in Jacumba found four hikers who had no food or water and were experiencing heat exhaustion, Cal Fire Capt. Brent Pascua said. NBC San Diego. Two of the cyclists went to the trailhead to meet with emergency crews and give the hikers GPS coordinates.
“Once the four hikers were brought to safety, they required no further treatment,” Pascua said. “That’s when the last two mountain bikers came back to the trailhead to meet everyone. And somewhere in the middle, the last two parted ways.”
Emergency crews found a bicyclist, who was not identified, a quarter mile from the trailhead. The person, who was unresponsive, was taken back to an air-conditioned van, Pascua said.
The cyclist was driven to where the ambulances were set up along the way.
“That was where the patient was treated, they tried to provide rescue measures and finally the patient was pronounced at 5:45 pm,” Pascua said.
The San Diego County Division of Cal Fire posted Saturday afternoon on Facebook that it was responding to a “remote area rescue in the Carrizo Gorge area” after receiving reports that four people were suffering from dehydration. The publication said six people were treated and released, plus two bystanders who were tested but did not need help.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department closed some trails Saturday due to extreme heat. The sheriff’s department did not immediately respond to a request for more information about the dead bicyclist.
Pascua said Cal Fire crews reported temperatures reaching nearly 110 degrees Saturday. AccuWeather had the high in Jacumba at 106 degrees, while Weather.com reported the highest temperature in the area on Saturday at 103 degrees.
Pascua encouraged people to change their outdoor activity plans when temperatures reach extremes or at least pack more water than they think they’ll need.
“It’s unfortunate that he’s been a good Samaritan trying to help… Unfortunately, bad things happen to people when it’s that hot,” Pascua said. “He knows his limitations and try to get help as soon as possible. That way we can go out and help him.”
