The Rider Down Beta

Dispatch

You and a riding partner are 40 minutes of rough trail from the trailhead on a dual-sport ride. Rounding a corner, you find another rider down — his bike is on its side ten yards past him, engine off. He's on his back on the gravel, open-face helmet still on, clutching at his right leg. It's 48°F and overcast, late afternoon. Your partner pulls up behind you. You have your kit, and your phone shows one bar.

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More scenarios

Fifteen shorter drills, each built around one habit worth owning. Same rules: no script, no recording, tempting mistakes on the menu.

• Hero Complex Scene safetyA hiker is down at the base of a live scree slope and her friend is screaming your name. Scene safety before patient contact — practice it here.
• The Guy Who's Fine Serial vitalsA 15-foot ground fall, and Dale is already making jokes. Vitals are a trend, not a snapshot — practice catching the trend.
• Snoring Isn't Sleeping Airway firstA trail runner face-down, making a noise like a bear. Snoring is an obstructed airway — practice positioning it.
• Don't Sit Him Up SpineOver the bars, neck pain, and a storm rolling in. Practice spinal motion restriction even when you have to move.
• Stop Peeking BleedingCamp kitchen, dull knife, forearm, more blood than seems reasonable. Direct pressure, held, uninterrupted — practice not peeking.
• Wiggle, Feel, Warm CSM & splintA fall on an outstretched hand and the wrist has a new corner. Practice CSM before and after the splint.
• Cool First Heat strokeRidge, noon, 95°F, and your buddy is talking nonsense. Heat stroke: cool now with what you have — practice not walking to the car.
• The Burrito HypothermiaA kayaker out of a 50°F lake, shivering like a paint mixer. Practice the hypothermia wrap — and what it means when the shivering stops.
• Leave It Frozen FrostbiteWhite numb toes, two hours of walking left, getting colder. Practice the frostbite call: don't thaw what might refreeze.
• Find the Epi AnaphylaxisA bee at lunch, hives at two minutes, wheeze at five. Epinephrine first and early — practice while the clock runs.
• It's Not Indigestion CardiacA 58-year-old at the overlook, sweaty, rubbing his chest, blaming the burrito. Practice taking chest pain seriously.
• Sugar First DiabetesYour Type 1 partner is sweaty, confused, and swears she's fine. If they can swallow, sugar now — practice before the window closes.
• Sharpie on the Leg SnakebiteRattlesnake, ankle, five miles out, and everyone has a theory from a movie. Practice the short list that actually works.
• Treat the Dead First LightningLightning on the ridge: one person screaming, one not moving. Practice reverse triage — the quiet one is the one you can save.
• Two Go, One Stays EvacuationAn ankle six miles out, three hours of daylight, one phone at 8%. Practice the send-for-help note and the messenger rules.