Badly injured mountain biker survives for two days alone in Valles Caldera

Rescuers spotted man who was injured Monday near Banco Bonito

A mountain biker was alone for more than 48 hours with life-threatening injuries before being rescued in the Valles Caldera National Preserve this week, according to the National Park Service.

The agency would not identify the biker by name but said the subject of Wednesday’s rescue was a male who was reported missing by fellow locals.

“Some local residents recognized that his vehicle hadn’t moved in a couple days,” said Kimberly DeVall, the preserve’s chief of interpretation and education. “It helped that we are familiar with the individual and he is a local resident.”

The rescue was a combined effort between the National Park Service, the Sandoval County Sheriff ’s Office, fire and rescue departments from Rio Rancho and La Cueva, and New Mexico State Police.

DeVall said the mountain biker was injured Monday morning in the Banco Bonito area of the preserve, about 60 miles northwest of Santa Fe and reported missing Tuesday afternoon. That prompted a 15-person rescue party to begin combing the area until nightfall. After the search restarted Wednesday morning, the biker was located in about five hours before being transported out of the preserve and into an ambulance.

DeVall said the biker, who spent two nights with no shelter and little food, sustained injuries to his lower extremities and is alive. She could not confirm which hospital admitted the biker following the rescue nor if he had been released yet.

To prevent similar accidents in the future, DeVall recommends outdoors enthusiasts set an itinerary with someone staying at home who will notice if he or she doesn’t return.

“Share your itinerary with somebody close to you,” DeVall said. “That way, if you’re not back by a certain time and can’t be contacted, we can know right away something has gone wrong.”