ST. GEORGE – A woman was taken to the hospital Monday afternoon following a mountain bike crash on the Hell Hole trail.
Around 2:40 p.m., the woman was riding her bike on the Hell Hole trail in Washington City when she experienced a “bike malfunction” and crashed, said Julio Reyes, of the Washington City Fire Department.
It is believed the bike’s chain either came undone or got snagged somehow, causing the crash, he said.
Though she was wearing a helmet, responders believe the woman took “a pretty good hit to the head,” Reyes said, adding that the woman sounded disoriented to dispatchers when she called 911. She also received a small laceration to her face above her nose.
Despite the possible disorientation and a reported feeling of weakness in her arms and legs, the woman was able to call 911. Through that call, dispatchers were able to zero in on her location through her phone’s GPS coordinates, Reyes said.
Washington City Police and Fire personnel responded to the scene, as did Gold Cross Ambulance.
The woman was retrieved by police officers with the aid of a utility task vehicle, or UTV, Reyes said. The woman was subsequently taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center for examination and care.
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This is probably the steepest paved trail section in Washington County (including the steep “Cardiac Hill” at Coral Canyon). Many folks heading downhill get off their bikes and walk down the steepest section, to avoid this very risk of a crash.
This is why 911 dispatchers job is important. I read an article of what they do https://www.911dispatcherprograms.org/what-does-911-dispatcher-do/ and i really admire them.
Thanks for sharing that, Makayla. We have done a few stories that take a closer look at what the dispatchers of St. George Communications Center do in normal course. Here are a couple links to those stories over the years:
St. George 911 launches cutting-edge medical dispatch system
Dispatchers keep a close ear on Washington County
Ambulance war scapegoat? St. George Dispatch responds to hearing testimony
Enjoy!
ST. GEORGE NEWS
Joyce Kuzmanic
Editor in Chief