Crime & Safety

Mountain Biker Who Collapsed + Died ID'd as 40-Year-Old Orange County Man

Johnny Lee of Placentia was pronounced dead at 2:55 p.m. Saturday on a mountainside south of Araby Cove, according to the Riverside County sheriff-coroner.

A mountain biker who became dehydrated, collapsed and died Saturday in temperatures that peaked over 105 degrees was identified by the sheriff-coroner as a 40-year-old Orange County man.

Johnny Lee of Placentia was pronounced dead at 2:55 p.m. Saturday on a mountainside south of Araby Cove, according to the Riverside County sheriff-coroner's office.

The high Saturday in Palm Springs was 107, tying a record high for April 21 recorded in 1958, according to the National Weather Service.

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Rescuers and a helicopter crew were responding to assist an injured hiker in the Murray Canyon waterfall area on Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians reservation land Saturday when the mountain biker was reported in trouble, Palm Springs police Sgt. Mike Kovaleff said.

A 911 caller reported a was dehydrated and unconscious, Kovaleff said.

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Emergency medics began responding to the remote location, and a CHP helicopter crew with a firefighter-paramedic on board diverted from the injured hiker and flew to the mountain biker.

"The PSFD paramedic was flown to the injured bicyclist and dropped off," Kovaleff said. "The bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene."

The injured hiker was eventually rescued with a leg injury. An autopsy was pending in Lee's death.


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