45-year-old mountain biker dies while cycling popular Placer County trail

A 45-year-old mountain biker died while cycling Saturday in the Auburn State Recreation Area in Placer County, Cal Fire officials said .

On Saturday morning, Cal Fire and Placer County Fire Department personnel were called to respond to a medical emergency initially reported as a bicycle accident on the Connector Trail, a popular downhill single-track path for mountain biking.

CPR was administered to the man as firefighters attempted to reach him, Cal Fire said.

First responders used an aerial drone to find a closer location where they could provide medical assistance. Placer County firefighters worked on cutting a path to a point in the trail where the victim could be rescued, officials said.

The injured cyclist was “transferred to a rope system for rapid extraction, saving over a mile of travel distance with CPR in progress,” Cal Fire officials said.

Despite these efforts, the man was pronounced dead at 11:17 a.m. A rescue team recovered the body by using a low-angle rope system to transfer the victim to the coroner, according to Cal Fire.

On Monday, the Placer County Coroner’s Office identified the man as Rojohn Rietta.