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Snowplough driver finds unconscious cyclist buried under snow after stopping to move bike

Rider in Norway can't remember how he came to be there, but police officer suspects drink played at part...

A cyclist in Norway who had fallen unconscious and been buried under snow on a cycle path owes his life to a snowplough driver who had spotted his bike’s handelbars sticking out of the snow on Sunday morning.

The driver, who stopped to remove the bicycle from his vehicle’s path on the island of Nøtterøy, around 60km south of Oslo, spoke of his surprise at discovering the frozen cyclist.

"I saw some handlebars poking out of the snow," he said, quoted on Orange.co.uk, which cited an Aftenposten report.

"When I got closer, I saw that there was a man on a bike completely covered by snow. I also noticed that the man was wearing a reflective vest."

The man, aged 26 and from the island of Tjøme was said to be frozen and unconscious when an ambulance summoned by the driver arrived, but he regained consciousness on the way to hospital in Vestfold.

The cyclist had no recollection of how he had come to be lying on the path.

Police officer Knut Henning Bjune speculated that drink may have played a role, telling Aftenposten: "He said that the last thing he remembered was riding home from a friend's house.

"He had probably been out on a piss-up, which may have contributed to the ride ending the way it did."

While it’s not clear whether or not alcohol was involved, drink can be a factor in cases of people freezing to death.

In an article on Drinkaware.co.uk, Professor Colin Drummond, head of the Section of Alcohol Research at King’s College London, explains:

When you drink, it dilates the peripheral blood vessels near your skin, which means more blood – and heat – flows to these vessels.

That takes blood and heat away from the core of your body. So while it feels like you’re warm because your skin is warm, your vital organs aren’t as warm as you might think they are.

If you then go out in the cold after drinking, because you’ve got a lot of heat on the periphery of your body, you can lose heat very easily and quickly. And that can be dangerous.

Drinking too much leads to bad decisions. If you drunkenly decide to walk home across a snowy field instead of getting a taxi, you’re putting yourself at risk. Hypothermia can take hold quickly and can even lead to death.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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11 comments

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griggers | 10 years ago
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I wonder if he woke up with a stiffie?

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jmferros | 10 years ago
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Or of course he might have been suddenly buried in snow by a previous snow plough passing him with a less attentive driver.

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sm | 10 years ago
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Booze and bicycles, snow joke as I highlight in just 1,100 words on my latest blog! Shameless plug ahoy: Puking and pedalling, a tale of alcohol and cycling

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Pipsicle | 10 years ago
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at least he was on the cycle path...and they plough them too - brill!

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Bagpuss | 10 years ago
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Surely it was the width of his handlebars?

He must have had really wide bars on his bike if that's what the driver saw sticking out of the snow. Narrow bars wouldn't have been as visible therefore wider bars are safer.

How about a HighViz really wide bar?

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drfabulous0 | 10 years ago
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Very much channeling Yehuda Moon from December 2009.

http://www.yehudamoon.com/all_comics/2009.html

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Mat Brett | 10 years ago
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"I also noticed that the man was wearing a reflective vest."

Hey, can we have that hi-viz discussion again? That's one of my favourites.

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farrell replied to Mat Brett | 10 years ago
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Mat Brett wrote:

"I also noticed that the man was wearing a reflective vest."

Hey, can we have that hi-viz discussion again? That's one of my favourites.

Arf!

It woz the helmut wot saved im.

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m0rjc | 10 years ago
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Sounds like drink is pure speculation. There are other possible reasons, and if something medical then the police would not be aware.

Still, good that he survived. It almost sounded like it could have been a resuscitation, though there are ideas around that cold can help chances in that case. The warning about alcohol is valid. Alcohol does kill in cold weather.

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Mombee | 10 years ago
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If it had been in the UK, he'd have been given a ticket for riding on a path… he was very lucky though, anyone remember the James Bond baddie going through a snowplough (can't remember which film, but suspect Roger Moore was involved).

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ragtimecyclist | 10 years ago
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Dangerous situation and glad the guy is ok...of course...but what a story he has now got to tell his mates! It's one thing to drukenly fall asleep in a phone box, or someone's garden - but in a snowdrift is impressive.

I also like the quote from the Norwegian Police Officer, "he had probably been out on a piss up...".

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