Hey r/MTB,
This past weekend, while riding the Greer Ranch / Keller trails in SoCal, our friend and fellow rider, Pablo, suffered a catastrophic crash. He went over the bars on a descent, and sustained severe spinal and head injuries. His son was with him on the trail and was witness to the horrific accident. He stayed by his father's side the entire time.
Pablo was airlifted to a local hospital where he's undergone spinal surgery and he's been on and off a ventilator. He's intermittently breathing on his own and showing signs of cognitive awareness. He does not yet have mobility below his neck. The road ahead is uncertain, but he's a fighter. His family and friends are praying for him and holding onto hope.
There isn't much media coverage, but there is an IG user (HomieNewsInc) that was on scene after first responders got there. And to the random rider who helped guide rescue crews through the trails to find him, you are a guardian angel. Pablo is alive today because of you. If you're reading this, you have my eternal gratitude. You deserve all the blessings in the world.
Pablo has brought so many folks into the mountain biking world. He's an adventurous, inclusive soul, always pushing one more climb for the fun of it. Now he needs our support.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help his family manage the medical and lost-income expenses during this unimaginably hard time. If you've ever crossed paths with Pablo, if you've ever ridden Greer, if you've ever crashed and walked away, or if you just know how tight-knit the MTB community can be… please, please consider donating or sharing.
🙏 https://gofund.me/7a16e4d2
Thank you all. Ride safe, and give your riding buddies a hug.
Out of respect for the family and his privacy, I won't be sharing much more details publicly. If you have questions, you can DM me. I will try to update y'all as he continues his recovery.
(I know this probably violates rule #4. But I also know this is an awesome community that rallies. To the mods, if you must remove this post, please DM me. I can remove the link if necessary.)
by largenostril
7 Comments
Wishing Pablo the best possible outcome with recovery. This type of crash is my worst nightmare. I’ll be thinking of you guys. Godspeed
This is a stark reminder that even the most familiar trails can demand the utmost respect, hoping for the best for Pablo and his family.
Donated. Best wishes to Pablo. This is so brutal
Commenting to boost…
Hate hearing about incidents like this but love to hear that people rallied.
Get well soon Pablo. If you ride much at all you know that it doesn’t take much to crash. And hopefully you walk away. It’s the stuff you don’t want to think about.
Sorry to hear, hope he recovers quick. I’ve been to Greer Ranch a handful of times, and surprised a severe spinal injury can happen there. But I guess any freak accident can happen in any circumstance.
Get better bro!!