Photo: Wikipedia
Going alone for a ride is definitely one of the best therapies you can get around. However, if you plan riding dangerous roads, do include a partner in case bad things happen, so you don’t have to sit helpless and in pain for 30 hours before getting rescued.
Yes, that really happened recently on the renowned Dragon trail, and fortunately, Kevin Diepenbrock survived to tell the story. Oh, and he was actually riding with a friend, who sadly passed away right after the crash.
For those unfamiliar with “The Dragon”, this is an 11-mile stretch of Highway 129 road that has a total of 318 turns. Wild, beautiful, and dangerous for untrained riders and drivers alike.
According to a report from the Knoxville News Sentinel, it all started with a crash on October 15th, when Diepenbrock collided with his friend rider, Phil Polito, on the Dragon. The two tumbled more than 100 feet down a rocky embankment, leaving Phil dead and Kevin in major pain with punctured lungs, 17 breaks in 12 ribs, and multiple spinal fractures.
He tried asking for help using his phone, but he didn’t have any service in that area, so nothing went through. He also tried yelling at bikers and cars passing by at around 50 feet away, but no one heard him.
Beginning to think that was his end, the man started recording goodbye videos for his loved ones. The night came in, and he started hearing animals roaming by. At one point, he felt mice and chipmunks scurry over his body.
After sitting beneath the embankment for 30 hours, he heard a couple stopping nearby for a drink. He shouted and managed to get their attention, finally getting rescued by the emergency services.
The medics listed him in critical condition at first, but Kevin is good now and is starting to recover with the help of physical therapists.
For those unfamiliar with “The Dragon”, this is an 11-mile stretch of Highway 129 road that has a total of 318 turns. Wild, beautiful, and dangerous for untrained riders and drivers alike.
According to a report from the Knoxville News Sentinel, it all started with a crash on October 15th, when Diepenbrock collided with his friend rider, Phil Polito, on the Dragon. The two tumbled more than 100 feet down a rocky embankment, leaving Phil dead and Kevin in major pain with punctured lungs, 17 breaks in 12 ribs, and multiple spinal fractures.
He tried asking for help using his phone, but he didn’t have any service in that area, so nothing went through. He also tried yelling at bikers and cars passing by at around 50 feet away, but no one heard him.
Beginning to think that was his end, the man started recording goodbye videos for his loved ones. The night came in, and he started hearing animals roaming by. At one point, he felt mice and chipmunks scurry over his body.
After sitting beneath the embankment for 30 hours, he heard a couple stopping nearby for a drink. He shouted and managed to get their attention, finally getting rescued by the emergency services.
The medics listed him in critical condition at first, but Kevin is good now and is starting to recover with the help of physical therapists.
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