Photo: Lucas Ninno / Moment / Getty Images
A California mountain biker who helped rescue a group of hikers died over the weekend. Officials with Cal Fire's San Diego County said a group of mountain bikers found four hikers near Carrizo Gorge in Jacumba suffering from heat exhaustion.
They were about five miles from the trailhead and had no food or water as the temperatures soared to 106 degrees. Two of the cyclists rode ahead and met with rescue crews, while the others stayed behind to assist the hikers.
The bikers led the rescue crews to the hikers and were airlifted from the trail. They were examined by paramedics but refused further treatment.
"Once the four hikers were lifted to safety, they required no further treatment," Cal Fire Capt. Brent Pascua told KNSD. "That's when the last two mountain bikers rode back to the trailhead to meet up with everyone. And somewhere in between there, the last two got separated."
Pascua said that one of the cyclists collapsed about a quarter mile from the trailhead. He was found by emergency workers and taken to an air-conditioned pickup truck, which drove him to the area where the ambulances were staged. Paramedics attempted to revive the man, but he was pronounced dead.
Authorities said they are awaiting the results of the autopsy to determine the cause of the death. The San Diego Police Department said that several trails were closed over the weekend due to the extreme heat and have launched an investigation into the incident.