Accident at the River Trail

[Ryan44]

I guy riding a specialized had an accident today 300 yards west of the swing bridge. His fork fell off and he hit his face on something I prosume his frame. The glasses he was wearing cut into his face and made a nasty gash. Blood everywhere. I met a frantic girl on her bike about 1/2 mile into the river trail from the bloomington ferry. She said the guy was screaming and that nobody had a phone.....For some reason I just happened to have mine so I called 911. I must of been the second caller but they didn't know where he was. Having rode the trail a lot I was able to get it out of the girl where he was and direct the dispatcher to tell the police how to get to him. By the time I got there a cop was allready on the scene. I stuck around for a few minutes and then moved on. Once I got to the swing bridge I found that the firemen where headed in the wrong directions so I politely told them to head the other way with there atv. I m pretty sure they guy is going to be fine but he will have a nasty scar. Moral of the story is always make sure you bike is in good working order or you can really hurt yourself.

Later

[Bob]

I too was there with this poor guy. After seeing this I would also like to add that I will not ride again without ID, a note with people to call in an emergency, and a phone. The best thing this guy had going for him is there were so many people on the trail and he was found immediately.

[soupboy]

...last summer I found this little guy down there about half-way between Lyndale and Indian Mounds just balling because he'd lost his water bottle off his busted up POS bike.

Had to call B-town cops and have them pick him up in a local neighorhood above the trail. Poor kid was just devastated.

Best thing though was this little guy (maybe 5yo) could pedal his POS 30# Walmart "mountain bike" in its lone operable gear up most of the hills east of Lyndale. A lifelong rider for sure!

Too bad for this fella today. I try to always carry a cell, generally turned off, when riding JIC. Most likely, it won't be for your benefit, but for that of some poor soul you come across riding that has gotten hurt, lost or broken down.

Sean

[gopherhockey]

I too was there with this poor guy. After seeing this I would also like to add that I will not ride again without ID, a note with people to call in an emergency, and a phone. The best thing this guy had going for him is there were so many people on the trail and he was found immediately.
Very good information indeed. Thanks to the both of you for helping out your fellow biker on the trail. (I smell 2 new potential bike patrol members!)

You can give a lot of help with some training, but sometimes you just need that cell phone to give a call out and get help on the way as quick as possible.

Sorry to hear someone already got hurt this year...

[Tim Wegner]

This discussion brings up one of the problems with the river bottoms trail. How do we tell emergency personell the location of the hurt or lost people. Happily that will end this summer. In MORC's proposal to the city of Bloomington along with some major re-route trail sections will be trail signs. These signs will be posted every mile or more frequently with mileage numbers on them so we will know exactly where to send the rescue crew.
:banana:

[manual63]

Speaking of cell phones in an emergency, can't they track where they are yet? I would think finding the location of a cell phone would be easy.....but then again, maybe I don't understand the technology or have watched too many movies.

Hope this guy is okay.

Check your bike out good. You can be a good rider, but if your bike fails, you have a very high risk of getting hurt.

[Brick]

. I try to always carry a cell, generally turned off, when riding JIC. Most likely, it won't be for your benefit, but for that of some poor soul you come across riding that has gotten hurt, lost or broken down.

A GPS can come in handy as well, takes up very little space either in a mount on the handlebars, or just tossed in you camelback.

[TrailPatrol]

Dennis Porter and I had a couple of discussions with the Bloomington Parks Board last summer. Basically, they are in favor of a volunteer patrol helping out down on the river, but they had a few things to work out with regard reporting in, reporting problems (like this incident) etc. Once we get our ducks in a row, we should be good to go a bit later this season. Penn Cycle-Bloomington has agreed to support that patrol function already.

I am not saying that we are the cure-all to these problems, but if we're there, particularly during high use periods, it certainly can't hurt. The problem, and John L. has touched on this at other times, is the crying need for more patrollers. As a volunteer outfit, you can't expect the same two or three guys to be down on the River Bottoms every Friday night, Saturday and Sunday for the next 16 weeks. We need enough people to have a solid, but reliable presence at the River Bottoms, Lebanon Hills, Battle Creek, Inver Grove, etc. which means growing the patrol radically.

Because of the process of transfering NCMBP to the auspices of MORC, we have not yet set up training in the Twin Cities. Ultimately, we want to have a large new patroller training at LH or Battle Creek (Think "classroom facilities!") followed by site-specific training at the riding venue, with the Trail Stewards and land mangers. All this takes more time than some people realize to set up, but it should be announced within the next week or two, and will be posted here.

Anyone who is interested, and wants to get a jump-start on patrolling is welcome to come up to Cable, WI next month (See the NMBP forum for details) for the training with the Hayward, WI and Deer River, MN patrols. That way you will just need you On-site orientation back here. We already have a couple MORC members making the drive to Cable. Maybe there could be a car pool set up on the NMBP forum.

If you are interested in joining the National Mtn. Bike Patrol here in the Cities, contact Mike Randall at mtbiker2@mindspring.com.

Ride safe,
:banana:
Hans

[Bob]

Speaking of cell phones in an emergency, can't they track where they are yet? I would think finding the location of a cell phone would be easy.....but then again, maybe I don't understand the technology or have watched too many movies.

Hope this guy is okay.

Check your bike out good. You can be a good rider, but if your bike fails, you have a very high risk of getting hurt.
I don't think the problem was where we were. The problem I seen was trying to find the quickest route to get a vehicle to the site. Luckily someone lived just up the road and told EMS to use the railroad swing bridge road. I didn't even know there was a road there. He then rode down and met a motorcycle cop who did his own off roading back to the site.

[zerpy]

Speaking of cell phones in an emergency, can't they track where they are yet? I would think finding the location of a cell phone would be easy.....but then again, maybe I don't understand the technology or have watched too many movies.

Hope this guy is okay.

Check your bike out good. You can be a good rider, but if your bike fails, you have a very high risk of getting hurt.

Well, yes the technology is available to pinpoint your location if you are in an area with multiple cell sites. If you're out in the boonies where they don't have the cell density they prob won't be able to triangulate your position, just tell what direction you are coming from. But if you are in a city, such as our metropolitan area, multiple cells can receive your signal and they can triangulate your position down to a several meters. BUT, law enforcement doesn't have hooks into the cellular providers systems to provide that info and the cell providers aren't much too interested in providing that access either. It opens a big can of worms, such as privacy concerns, liability of the providers, etc...

There was a case where the FBI (I believe) did work with a company to nail a guy and the cell company provided his location info. I think there was mutual interest, the FBI wanted him, but he was also scamming service back when the phones were analog and you could grab someone's ESN and MSN and reprogram your old phone with it. So the cell company wanted him too, otherwise it isn't really done much.

I'm not trying to get political here, but I'm sure with things like the patriot act now, it does happen more than we know. But, unfortunately I doubut that it is available to EMS services to find someone in need of help.

[Kingbozo]

Some newer cell phones have built in GPS "beacons" that can transmit their physical location. Companies can use this info to keep location tabs etc on employees, company vehicles etc...


I'm not sure what it would take for first responders to be able to access that info.

[Beaner128]

Somebody mentioned the need for additional patrollers, I am an EMT, but have never bothered to commit to becoming a patroller. Mainly because of the other training and a commitment to volunteer so many hours. I am however willing to help out anyway I can if I see an injury. I wonder if there are others like me out there. Unfortunately my EMT liscense will expire this year and since I had to resign from the fire department I will not be able to renew it. I do have many of the skills necessary to help out if I do see an injury on the trail. Hopefully there are and they will respond to this thread. When you talk about the swing bridge I'm assuming you mean at the railroad bridge?

This brings me to another question. I was riding the trail yesterday, and got to 9 mile creek and couldn't cross. Does anybody know when the raft will be going in, or if there is another way to cross? In the past I have waded across it, but just wasn't up to it yesterday...

Tanks
Beaner

[TML]

This brings me to another question. I was riding the trail yesterday, and got to 9 mile creek and couldn't cross. Does anybody know when the raft will be going in, or if there is another way to cross? In the past I have waded across it, but just wasn't up to it yesterday...

Tanks
Beaner
Raft put in: 4/10 Check out this thread - http://www.morcmtb.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10432

[TML]

Raft put in: 4/10 Check out this thread - http://www.morcmtb.org/forums/showthread.php?t=10432
Guess you did already.

[Fool4TheCity]

I ride alone fairly often due to working 24hr rotating shifts. Therefore I always carry my vital information with me whether I'm running or biking. Carry an Id is a pain untill I came accross a great idea to easily have all the emergency info right around my neck. Here is a website to purchase one for yourself:
http://www.roadid.com/
I think EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE ONE! I have no ties to this company, it's just a great idea.

As far as the technology of 911 cell phone tracking location be advised that due to tight budgets, dispatch centers in MN are years away from this technology. If your a terrorist, the FBI and other agencies can track you down right now. If you bust yourself up and need 911 you must know where you are to direct emergency personnel to your location. So know what direction (North, South, East, West) you are from the nearest access point, and estimate how far down the trail you are. Or send someone from your party to direct them in.

I could go on, and on, about this stuff, and first aid supplies, but I'll spare you (for now).

Good luck, ride safe, and be prepared!

Mike, Firefighter/Paramedic/911 Bike Club.

[jkalla]

The person who had the accident is a friend of mine. He is having surgery today. He rides down at the River Bottom frequently. He does not remember the details of his accident. Thank you to all who helped him yesterday. If I hear anything I will update to this message. Once again - thank you to those who helped him.

[Kingbozo]

The person who had the accident is a friend of mine. He is having surgery today. He rides down at the River Bottom frequently. He does not remember the details of his accident. Thank you to all who helped him yesterday. If I hear anything I will update to this message. Once again - thank you to those who helped him.
Hope he is OK. What required surgery?

[seberly]

By the way I got a pretty close look at the fork - it was a manitou - few years old - one of the models where the uppers are not pressed into the crown - they are clamped by a bolt - the bolt is between the upper and the headset - looked like the bolts may have loosened over time and the uppers just dropped out of the crown with predictable results - there were wear marks on the lowers suggesting it may have been loose for a while - just one mans opinion - the area of the crash was completely flat as well.

[jkalla]

Hope he is OK. What required surgery?
Broken facial bone

[The Tick]

Hey Jon, I registered.


I am a co-worker and fellow rider of his as well and all of us would like to thank those involved in helping him out. The good news is that there is no trauma to his brain. Thanks again.

[Crash]

Carry an Id is a pain untill I came accross a great idea to easily have all the emergency info right around my neck. Here is a website to purchase one for yourself:
http://www.roadid.com/
I think EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE ONE! I have no ties to this company, it's just a great idea.


We were registering my wife for the Lifetime Fitness triathalon last week on Active.com and roadid.com had a banner add. I clicked through and was seriously thinking of ordering one but didn't. I am going to tonight.

[Ryan44]

Well thats good news that he will be ok. Broken bone that sucks. I thought he was just cut up.

[dbartnik]

I would like to join my friends Jon and Brandon in thanking those who helped me when I had this nasty bicycle accident. Two ladies were there right away. One (Lori, I think) stayed with me, used my phone to call 911, and made sure I was comfortable until the paramedics arrived. The other went for help and returned later. I think there was at least one guy who stayed the whole time too, maybe more. Someone donated a shirt to help stop the bleeding … it’s gone now. The police, rescue squad, and paramedics also helped get me out of there and on my way to HCMC where the team there put me back together. When the accident first occurred I feared it would take an eternity for medical assistance to arrive. I’m not sure how long it took but it seemed pretty quick, all things considered.

I’m doing much better now. All significant damage was facial. A few areas were broken around the nose and one eye. Lots of stitches, which were removed a few days ago. One laceration cut a nerve, which is really annoying. The scars will fade and the nerve damage may lessen. I’ll be ok and will eventually get back out there.


:scream: Dan

[seberly]

Thanks for posting Dan, that is just great to hear that you are recovering well!