Two people rescued in mountain biking race for crash, heat exhaustion

Published 3:52 pm Monday, July 17, 2023

Two people required Deschutes County Search and Rescue’s help during a mountain biking race in the Cascade Mountains on Saturday.

Paramedics took one cyclist to St. Charles Bend after he crashed and reportedly injured his knee. Another experienced heat exhaustion was given IV fluids and then recovered enough to walk out on his own, according to a press release from Deschutes County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jason Wall.

The mountain bikers were competing in the High Cascades 100, a roughly 100-mile race that winds through the forests and mountains near Bend. About 275 people signed up this year, according to a list of participants.

Authorities responded to the Swampy Lakes Loop near the intersection with Swede Ridge Trail at around 10 a.m. Saturday. They received reports that a person had crashed, hurt his knee and couldn’t ride or walk out.

Sheriff’s office personnel, search and rescue volunteers and race medics responded to the scene of the crash. They placed the man’s leg in a splint and took him to a search and rescue vehicle in a wheeled stretcher.

Bend Fire & Rescue paramedics took him to St. Charles Bend from the Swampy Lakes Sno-park trailhead.

At around 1:30 p.m., search and rescue responded to a report that a rider had heat exhaustion and was southwest of Bend. Authorities gave the man IV fluids and he asked to walk out.