A stricken mountain biker was airlifted to hospital following a serious incident at a bike park near Machynlleth.

Late in the afternoon on Sunday, October 17, call handlers at Aberdyfi Search and Rescue were called out to a mountain biker who had suffered spinal injuries at Dyfi Bike Park near Pantperthog.

The biker had alerted emergency services himself, but was unable to provide his location, rescuers say.

"Team call-handlers received a request to assist the Welsh Ambulance Service with a seriously injured mountain biker at Dyfi Bike Park near Machynlleth," said a spokesperson for Aberdyfi Search and Rescue Team.

"The male rider, in his 30s, had fallen off his bike and despite sustaining suspected spinal injuries, had managed to alert emergency services about his situation, but not his location.

"Team volunteers coordinated with Dyfi Bike Park staff and quickly located the casualty."

The rider was taken down the hill to a nearby site where an ambulance was waiting to transfer him to hospital by Coastguard rescue services.

"Due to the nature of the injuries sustained, and the difficult terrain on which the accident occurred, a request was made for assistance from Coastguard Rescue Helicopter," they added.

"The casualty was assessed and treated by the ambulance crew and winchman-paramedic. Conditions were such that it was not possible to winch directly from the incident site, so the Team made the difficult stretcher transfer down from steep ground to the waiting ambulance. The casualty was then driven to the helicopter, which had landed near Machynlleth.

"Team members assisted with the transfer from the ambulance to Rescue 936 before the casualty was airlifted to Liverpool for further assessment and treatment."