A motorcyclist was seriously injured Thursday when he plunged down an embankment along the Ortega (74) Highway near Lake Elsinore, which was shut down in both directions during the rescue operation.
The “rider down” call was received about 12:55 p.m. on the westbound 74, near Tenaja Truck Trail, about three miles west of Lake Elsinore, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The victim called 911 himself, about 20 feet below the highway, unable to move, according to reports from the scene. Several engine crews began slowly driving along the highway, attempting to locate the motorcyclist. The effort took almost 20 minutes until the victim notified a 911 dispatcher that he could hear the sirens above him.
Firefighters hiked down to the motorcyclist and discovered he had a broken leg, as well as multiple other fractures, according to the fire department. A hoist system was rigged to one of the fire trucks, and paramedics brought him up to the highway about 2 p.m. to be airlifted to a southwest county trauma center.
The California Highway Patrol closed both sides of the two-lane highway during the operation, leaving motorists going east- and westbound temporarily stuck.