Biker rescued from trail through Catawba County woods

A biker hurt while riding trails in Catawba County was rescued from the woods Thursday morning. Firefighters in Hickory are crediting their training for helping with the rescue.

It happened around 10:40 a.m. Thursday in the Hickory area, near Geitner Park. Firefighters and EMS responded quickly after the biker crashed on a trail.

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Firefighters said the rider hit a rock, causing the crash. Because of his injuries, crews carried him out of the woods and to an ambulance.

The rider was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

Firefighters told Channel 9′s Dave Faherty that their training and pre-planning helped them during the rescue. They said there are miles of trails in the park, but planning helps them respond more quickly to incidents there.

“We have the mountain bike trails, we have the hiking trails, and accidents can happen all the time,” said Stephen Craig with Hickory Fire. “People can get overheated, just any kind of situation where we can help you.”

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