On Monday, August 3, Mesa County Search and Rescue officials were alerted to a crisis situation along Palisade Plunge Trail, a challenging, 32-mile mountain bike trail in western Colorado.
An unidentified mountain biker was enjoying the trail when they encountered a mechanical issue with their bike that threatened to strand the person in record-breaking heat about 10 miles from the end of the trail.
Fortunately, search and rescue crews were able to respond quickly and met the biker at a shade shelter on the trail.
But it wasn’t just any shade structure.
It had been built by the family and friends of Jeff Higgins last fall. Higgins was a 52-year-old cyclist who died of heat exposure and dehydration on June 11, 2022.
“The shade structure where the rider waited is part of a community memorial project created in memory of Jeff Higgins,” the Mesa County Search and Rescue department shared in a statement.
“Family and community members raised funds for the project, which was planned in partnership with the Town of Palisade, Bureau of Land Management, COPMOBA, and the Higgins family.”
According to KJCT News, Higgins also experienced a mechanical failure on his bike and was found unconscious beside the trail by three other cyclists who called for help and stayed with him.
However, those cyclists had also run out of water and needed help themselves. Higgins died, and in his honor, his family erected the shade structure as a memorial to him last November.
Less than a year since the structure was put there, it has already likely helped save a life.
“We’re thankful knowing the structure built in Jeff’s honor has now helped a rider,” Dan, Jeff Higgins’s brother, told CBS Colorado. “That’s what it was meant to do.”
The rider who found themselves stuck in 105-degree heat on August 3 got water from the search and rescue personnel to rehydrate before they all made their way downhill to safety.
“We’re grateful this mission ended safely and that a space created in Jeff Higgins’s memory provided shade and comfort when it was needed,” the search and rescue department concluded.
“Our hearts are with Jeff’s family and loved ones, and we hope it brings them comfort knowing his memory is helping others along the Plunge.”
Higgins’s widow, Amy, also shared a similar sentiment on Facebook.
“Our goal has always been to encourage riders to do what they love and return home safely to their families at the end,” she wrote. “I am so thankful the shade structure helped. I know how hot it has been this summer, and I hope many riders have been able to seek comfort there.”
You may also like: This playground sign shows kids how to sign 'friend,' 'tag,' 'play,' and more. It honors a deaf child who passed away
Featured Image: Mesa County Search and Rescue/Facebook
