A small memorial has been set up at the entrance of Blue Mountain's Haole Trail, where a mountain biker died on Saturday after an incident on the downhill course.
According to Blue Mountain Resort officials, the body of a 58-year-old man was found on the trail by patrol staff after an accident on the trail.
“Our team of patrollers administered CPR and first aid and unfortunately he was pronounced dead at scene,” says Paul Pinchbeck, director of marketing for the resort. “That area is a bit of bend and as we understand, a small jump feature, but at this point we can't speculate what happened.”
The run is one of two restricted courses only riders who pass two skill assessment tests are allowed to cycle down. Officials say the man had passed those tests and had ridden along the trail during the year.
Officials also say the man was wearing a helmet and is believed to have been riding alone.
Investigators are still trying to figure out what happened. Provincial police and Ontario’s Ministry of Labour wrapped their investigations at the scene on Sunday.
An autopsy and an investigation by Blue Mountain Resort will take place in the coming days. Resort officials say once they know what happened they will look at ways to improve the safety of the trail.
At the same time, fellow mountain bikers are remembering the man as someone who was passionate about the sport.
“He’s gone out everywhere riding and loves sharing stories with people. He’s been riding for a long time; it’s pretty shocking to see him go down on that,” says one man.
