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.

This story was originally published August 26, 2024 at 8:30 AM.