A TEENAGER had to be airlifted to hospital after his bike snapped in two during a ride in Gisburn Forest.

Mountain rescuers were called out after the 16-year-old suffered suspected pelvic and hip injuries after falling off the bike.

He was riding on an advanced mountain bike section of the forest know as the Hope Line at around 2pm on Saturday.

More than 20 members of Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue were scrambled to help the youngster who is believed to be from Carnforth.

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He was taken by air ambulance to Royal Preston Hospital.

Kevin Camplin, team leader, said the boy was very cold and seemed to be suffering from hypothermia when they arrived.

“He was conscious but was quite white and did not look very well,” he said.

“He was coming down Hope Line which is an advanced course. It is known as a ‘black’ route which, similar to skiing, is more challenging.

“He was coming downhill and going over humps. You can go into the air then you come down and land but with the bike snapping he took the full force of the fall.”

He said the rescue team carried out immediate casualty care and placed the youngster into a vacuum mattress.

They loaded him onto a mountain rescue stretcher and carried him to the air ambulance about 300 metres away which had flown in from Manchester.

A total of 24 team members attended the incident with four mountain rescue off-road Land Rovers and the team’s incident control vehicle used.

An hour and a half later the team were called again to Gisburn Forest and spent six hours searching for a 43-year-man from Preston.

The rescue team stood down at 11pm and the missing person was later located safe and well the following morning.

The team has been called out 33 times this year with eight standbys.