The county’s Search and Rescue team on Sunday responded to a call of an injured mountain biker 3.5 miles up the Romero Canyon Trail in Montecito. The man, in his fifties, had fallen from his bike at around noon, seriously hurting his head and spine. He also briefly lost consciousness.
A person nearby on the trail called 9-1-1, and 12 Search and Rescue team members and six firefighters from the Montecito fire department were dispatched. A county helicopter was also deployed.
The biker, after receiving preliminary medical care at the scene, was strapped onto a backboard and into a stretcher and taken down to the trailhead. He was then driven to Cottage Hospital for further care.