ROOSVILLE, Mont. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers at the port of Roosville had the opportunity to assist with the rescue efforts of a bicyclist who had reportedly crashed into a river near the port on June 16.
At about 12:45 p.m. officers received a report that a bicyclist participating in the Great Divide Bike Tour had crashed head-first into the Wig-Wam River. The cyclist reporting the accident had witnessed the crash and helped get the cyclist out of the river and into dry clothes before leaving the scene to report the incident. The witness said the cyclist had a large gash on his head.
The Great Divide Bike Tour began in Banff, Alberta, and ends at the border with Mexico.
Knowing that the incident occurred in Canada, the officers on duty at Roosville notified Canada Border Services Agency of the accident and gave the GPS coordinates they received from the reporting cyclist as well. It took five hours for rescuers to locate the injured cyclist. The officers at Roosville continued assisting by fielding calls from search and rescue teams seeking information about the location of the injured cyclist. It was later reported that the injured cyclist wandered away from the crash site during the search and rescue.
The injured cyclist was located and transferred by helicopter to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) where he was subsequently taken to the border at the port of Roosville. Though the cyclist had lost his passport and all of his identification when he went into the river, officers were able to verify his identity and citizenship through the Passport Information Electronic Records System.
CBP officer Ryan Latozke and Supervisory CBP officer Richard Rosson provided hot tea, blankets, and warmth to the injured cyclist, a male U.S. citizen, while waiting for a local ambulance crew to arrive and evaluate his condition. The officers further assisted the cyclist by providing contact information and helping him find a local hotel to lodge for the evening. The officers at Roosville were still concerned for the welfare of the cyclist and so they asked the local hotel if they would periodically check on the cyclist to ensure he didn’t require any further assistance.