A 57-year-old cyclist is very lucky to be alive after suffering a collapsed lung and broken bones. He became trapped in a ravine after plunging more than 50 feet below.
According to NBC San Diego, Keith Leyva was cycling on a trail in Otay Lakes County Park. That's when he fell off the trail and plummeted more than 50 foot below into a ravine. The impact left him with a collapsed lung, lacerated liver, and multiple broken bones. He lay there for hours, screaming for help and unable to move.
Fortunately, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents heard his cries and got help.
"On Sept. 20, Border Patrol agents working in the vicinity of Otay Lakes County Park heard cries for help originating from a canyon adjacent to the Sweetwater Dam," the agency wrote. "Agents hiked into the canyon and encountered an adult male suffering from multiple serious injuries."
They also added, "Additional agents, including a Border Patrol Emergency Medical Technician, arrived on scene to render assistance and stabilize the injured subject."
Cyclist Almost Dies
"The cyclist told agents he lost his footing while walking his bike along a trail on the canyon wall, falling more than 50 feet into the bottom of the canyon," officials also continued. "Unable to move for hours, he called for help until he was finally found by the Border Patrol agents."
"There is no doubt in my mind that these agents saved this man's life," San Diego Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey D. Stalnaker said in a statement. "I am truly thankful the agents were in the right place at the right time to make a difference."
