[Heidi]

Thursday nights is usually ride night with my girlfriends. Last night there were 7 of us and we headed out on the trails. It was warm out and there were thunderclouds off in the distance but we chatted happily as we hammered the singletrack. About 2 miles in we hear a guy on an adjacent trail screaming at us asking if we could call 911 - rider down. Our group split with some staying to make the call and myself and some others sprinted up the trail in full race mode. About a mile up there was a gentleman on the ground not moving and one guy was administering CPR. No pulse, no breathing. We jumped in and started rotating the CPR but still nothing.

I grabbed his pack and retrieved a cellphone but no id. The worst moment came when I was scrolling through his phone to find someone to call. I saw his recent call was to "Sandy" so I passed the phone off and the call was made. Really we just wanted to know who the guy was and if he had any medical conditions (Diabetes, allergy to bees...) Sandy was his wife. UHG. We didn't tell her he was dead, just that he was unconcious and the paramedics were on their way.

Bend PD, Deschutes County Sheriff, Search and Rescue, and Bend Fire all showed up at the scene and after they hooked him up to some stuff and did some attempts, they pronounced him dead.

It was horrible. I've never seen someone it that capacity. His dog was with him and was so sad.

RIP Ray, whoever you were.

 

[Westy]

That sucks. Had he crashed or did something just catch up to him while riding?

 

[Heidi]

That sucks. Had he crashed or did something just catch up to him while riding?

Looked like a heart attack probably. He was riding uphill and looked liked he'd just had a heart attack and fell over. When I arrived his bike was still between his legs and everything.

 

[Nick]

jeez, thats awful.

I hope you can take slight comfort that you and your friends did everything you could to help. RIP Ray.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Dang... that definitely is a bad ride.

 

[jimmydean]

That sucks. At least you did what you could, Heidi.

RIP Ray.

 

[stoney]

I came across one of those a few years ago. Rider fell, blunt force trauma to the base of skull. It really f*s with you for a while.

 

[TreeSaw]

WOW! RIP Ray and thanks to everyone who tried to help him.

 

[TreeSaw]

We had a rider have a massive heart attack and pass on our trails a couple years back. Terrible tragedy.

 

[jonKranked]

Happened to a friend of mine in Rochester. It was during a race too. He was only 27. Very sad.

 

[TreeSaw]

Happened to a friend of mine in Rochester. It was during a race too. He was only 27. Very sad.

I remember...very sad indeed. The only comfort his friends & family have is in knowing that he went doing something he loved.

 

[splat]

Scary , very scary

 

[ultraNoob]

RIP Ray.

Heidi... good job out there. It's riders like you and your friends that help make BEND OREGON the best MTB city in the country.

 

[drkenan]

Wow...RIP Ray. That's a crazy story. I feel really bad for his family. Please keep us updated.

I had a similar thing happen when I was a snowboard instructor a few years back. The guy was only 21 (same age as me at the time) and was riding drunk. It definitely stays with you for awhile.

 

[Da Peach]

Sounds like you guys reacted well. One of the racers last week crashed really hard and it looked like he'd almost snapped his head off his body. I just sorta winced with an "OOOOooooooooooo" like most of the crowd. My GF (a nurse) was already giving him a neuro-assessment by the time by the time I stopped "ooooooo"ing.

I suck at teh medical emergencies.

 

[TN]

Holy ****.

 

[mandown]

ouch. well played on your part.

 

[I Are Baboon]

Man, that is awful.

 

[Westy]

A good example of what not to do.

Local race last year a kid crashed into a stream. Next rider found him and attempted medical help. The kid said his toes were numb, instead going to get help that was a few hundred yards away the would be doctor duct taped the kids head to a stick. Turns out the kid was fine, he couldn't feel his feet because they were cold.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Rest in peace.

 

[Sghost]

A good example of what not to do.

Local race last year a kid crashed into a stream. Next rider found him and attempted medical help. The kid said his toes were numb, instead going to get help that was a few hundred yards away the would be doctor duct taped the kids head to a stick. Turns out the kid was fine, he couldn't feel his feet because they were cold.

Who races with duct tape in their pocket?

 

[Westy]

Who races with duct tape in their pocket?

It was at night. One of the riders had used a bunch of duct tape to secure a flashlight to their handlebar as a backup.

 

[Squeak]

What a terrible experience! You did all you could though, and that is all one can ask.

RIP

 

[douglas]

wow, sad & scary.

Happened to a friend of mine in Rochester. It was during a race too. He was only 27. Very sad.

I was at that race.

 

[Prettym1k3]

That is the worst thing I've heard in a long, long time. Similar to the owner of Wicked Racing last year at Sea Otter.

Blessings and prayer for his family. God, that's awful. Actually makes me hurt and tear up.

Enjoy your family, enjoy your rides. It doesn't last forever.

 

[Total Heckler]

Wow. That was heart wrenching to read. It really does sound like you guys did everything you could. =\

RIP Ray.

 

[AngryMetalsmith]

Wow, that is tragic.

At least he was doing something he loved.

 

[skatetokil]

Came on a fatal atv accident a few weeks ago and it will definitely rattle you. The guy was alive when the paramedics arrived, but as soon as they pulled his helmet off and flipped him over he died. Hit face first doing about 70 on pavement so I don't think he had much of a chance.

 

[dante]

^^^^ I'm not an EMT, but if there is a possibility of head/neck injuries should they really be "pulling his helmet off"?

 

[geargrrl]

Wow.

Nothing to add that hasn't been, so prayers and hugs.

Actually I did think of something. See if your county offers PTSD counseling; I know ours does for S/R and other personnel.

 

[MMcG]

wow.......holy cow.

RIP Ray.

 

[amateur]

^^^^ I'm not an EMT, but if there is a possibility of head/neck injuries should they really be "pulling his helmet off"?

If it impedes airway management, is too difficult to immobilize, etc...then yes.

Ms. Heidi-

It's a shame that you had to come upon that, but it sounds as though everyone did the best they could. The upside(if you can call it that) is that he is suffering less now than he would be had he survived and lived out the rest of his days as a shell of a human being. The odds of someone surviving out of hospital arrest to full neurological recovery are beyond slim.

Good work and my condolences to all involved.

 

[Velocity Girl]

RIP Ray.

Glad you guys were there to help and I'm sure he apprectiated his fellow riders doing what they could for him.

 

[Quo Fan]

That sucks. RIP Ray.

 

[G-Cracker]

RIP... that's terrible.

 

[skatetokil]

^^^^ I'm not an EMT, but if there is a possibility of head/neck injuries should they really be "pulling his helmet off"?

Thats why i didn't do it myself in the 15 min or so I was waiting, but I got shoed away from the guy when the pros arrived.

If it had been my rescue, I would have intubated him in position, slapped him on the backboard in his helmet, and let the surgeons deal with it but I wasn't in a position to argue.

 

[hooples3]

Wow.. RIP RAY and best wishes to his family

Sorry you had to go through all that Heidi, thats not so easy to deal with and saddens people terribly.. hang in there

 

[JohnE]

I echo the RIPs to Ray...

Heidi, I just hope that if something like that ever happens to me on the trail, that someone like yourself happens along. Thank you for doing your best for a stranger...

 

[Straya]

Good on you for getting in and helping Heidi. I can think of worse ways to go. too so I hope that is some comfort to his loved ones.

 

[Pete..]

That is the worst thing I've heard in a long, long time. Similar to the owner of Wicked Racing last year at Sea Otter

Aw, that was terrible. We had just talked to him in the morning. His camp was seriously like 3 cars down...


Deaths are lame.
RIP.