A TEENAGE mountain biker has his helmet to thank for not suffering more serious injuries according to the ambulance crew that treated him.

The 14-year-old was riding down Cardingmill Valley near Church Stretton when the accident occurred. A community first responder and an ambulance were sent to the scene after a number of 999 calls.

“People at the scene said that the youngster had gone over the handlebars of his mountain bike after crossing over a cattle grid,” said Nick Browne, a emergency medical technician.

“They said that he had been unconscious for a period before we arrived and he was still a bit groggy when we were assessing him. The situation was made more complicated due to a torrential downpour at the time.

“Thankfully the teenager was wearing a helmet otherwise his head injury would almost have certainly been far more serious.

“As a mountain biker myself, I have cracked two helmets in falls while out in the countryside so know from first-hand experience the value of wearing one. I wouldn’t go out on my bike without a helmet.”

The teenager was taken to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital after the accident on Tuesday August 12 where the trauma team was on standby to provide further assessment and treatment.