A popular mountain-biking trail near Naramata has claimed its second life in two months.
Penticton Search and Rescue, B.C. Air Ambulance and the Penticton Fire Department were called to the scene near the Three Blind Mice run off Riddle Road just east of Naramata Road just after 10:30 a.m. Sunday after receiving a report of an injured cyclist.
According to Cindy Smith of search and rescue, the 53-year-old did not survive his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The B.C. Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of the man as Robert Allan Mason, aged 53, from Penticton.
Mason, a highly experienced cyclist who was wearing a helmet, suffered a witnessed-fall from his mountain bike while on an expedition in an area known as “Three Blind Mice” along Naramata Bench, near Penticton in the late morning hours of Oct. 21. The cyclists with whom he was riding called for help immediately, but despite the best efforts of emergency personnel, he was not able to be resuscitated.
The Coroners Service is continuing to investigate this death.
“The accident was right on the trail,” said Smith. “It was sort of a moderate area, not too extreme,” said Smith. “Accidents do happen fairly often up there but they’re not usually as serious and people are usually able to self rescue or have friends help them out,.
“It’s the nature of the sport but it is just tragic that it’s been such extreme accidents for two people this year.”
The other incident happened in late August when a 60-year-old Twin Lakes man suffered serious head injuries and was airlifted out but eventually died in Kelowna General Hospital.