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Coroner still investigating Langley mountain biker’s death

Cause of death not yet identified As of press time Wednesday, pathologists were still in the process of determining the cause of death of Alan George Moore, the 33-year-old Langley man who died after crashing in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park on Thu

Cause of death not yet identified

As of press time Wednesday, pathologists were still in the process of determining the cause of death of Alan George Moore, the 33-year-old Langley man who died after crashing in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park on Thursday, Aug. 8.

According to Christopher Nicolson, the public relations manager for Whistler-Blackcomb, the accident occurred at the bottom of the Crabapple Hits trail, on the last of a set of three drops. Although Moore was riding with friends at the time, nobody witnessed the final crash.

Two park patrollers attended the scene at approximately 4 p.m., and brought Moore to the bottom of the mountain where he was taken to the Whistler Health Care Centre by ambulance.

"All we know is that he landed hard, very hard actually," said Brian Pottier of the B.C. Coroners Service. "He had injuries all over the body, and he hit his head most likely."

Pottier has not seen the helmet, which is being held by the attending doctors in Whistler, and is waiting to hear from the pathologist before making any assumptions regarding the cause of death.

"Right now we are looking at it as an unfortunate accident, but the cause of death is still unknown to us."

Moore was wearing a full-face helmet and armour on his arms and legs, but was not wearing a chest protector.

According to a spokesperson at the Vancouver Health Authority, it could be as long as a year before a coroner’s report is available on the accident. The VHA’s own report says that Moore was conscious and talking when he was brought to the Whistler Health Care Centre. He had serious head trauma and severe chest and limb fractures when he was brought to the hospital and doctors were in the process of sending him to Vancouver General Hospital via a helicopter when his condition "deteriorated rapidly." He died soon afterwards.

Members of the Whistler RCMP later attended the scene of the accident and turned their information and the investigation over to the Coroners Service.

According to Nicolson, Crabapple Hits is marked as expert terrain and was reopened to the public after the incident.

"We did a review of the site, and it’s been cleared," he said.

He said the park is just as busy after the incident, with approximately 450 cyclists using the park on an average weekday.

The park currently has six full-time patrollers on staff, and three were on duty at the time of the accident. They were at the scene "almost immediately," he said.