Two people were sent to hospital in two separate incidents at local provincial parks on Saturday.
The first incident took place at around 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 13, along the access road to the beach in the Gold Creek Campgrounds at Golden Ears Provincial Park. A teen around the age of 19 was on a bicycle travelling "very quickly" on a gravel hill, explained James Hall, operator of both Golden Ears Provincial Park and Rolley Lake Provincial Park.
He wiped out and a stick injured him, explained Hall, who noted the teen was "bleeding quite significantly."
Somebody raced to the check-in office to get help from parks staff who have access to the Starlink system to phone 911 in out of service areas.
The teen was taken by air ambulance to hospital.
Chris Lapierre, a witness to the incident, said the boy was 16-years-old, and credits a good Samaritan and former first responder named Kelly for saving the boy's life.
Lapierre said the boy was going slow down hill and fell onto his own bike straight down. His body weight pushed the handle bar through the soft part of his inner thigh and into his artery.
"He was able to put his fingers on the boys artery within 30 seconds. This person was also able to call 911 with the help of one of the boys friends," said Lapierre of Kelly.
Lapierre was critical of parks staff at Golden Ears, saying they were no help at all and didn't know what to do. He said they did call 911, but the ambulance and helicopter were already on their way.
He noted that the boy who was injured is expected to be fine and is in the process of healing at a Vancouver hospital.
BC Emergency Health Services confirmed they received a call at 3:55 p.m. and an ambulance with primary care paramedics, an advanced care paramedic responder unit and a paramedic supervisor responded to the scene.
"Paramedics provided emergency medical treatment to one patient who was transported to meet an air ambulance at a landing site at Ridge Meadows Hospital,” said public information officer Rachelle Bown.
The patient was then transported to a different facility by air ambulance under the care of critical care paramedics, added Bown.
Then, just past 6 p.m. on Saturday, a woman between the ages of 26 to 29-years-old was found to be unconscious while swimming at Rolley Lake.
"She had fallen unconscious while swimming," said Hall.
There was a group swimming, he explained, and they were well beyond the swimming area and 911 was called as the unconscious woman was taken back to shore by friends.
The woman had a pulse when she was pulled from the water and regained consciousness before paramedics loaded her onto a stretcher and into a waiting ambulance.
BC Emergency Health Services confirmed they received a call at 6:06 p.m. regarding a possible drowning at Rolley Lake Provincial Park.
"One ambulance with primary care paramedics, an advanced care paramedic responder unit and a paramedic supervisor responded to the scene. Paramedics provided emergency medical treatment to one patient who was transported to hospital,” said Bown.
Hall wants to remind people to always plan their trip when recreating outdoors.
"Anything can always happen, so be prepared," he said.
Golden Ears and Rolley Lake Provincial Parks are fully booked for summer camping. Hall is reminding people to get their free day pass two days in advance of their arrival if they want access to the park past the Spirea Trail check point.
"Getting a pass usually day of is near impossible," he noted. "So plan ahead and it will make life a lot easier."
