ARLINGTON — A bicyclist who died on a bike trail Tuesday evening despite efforts of passersby and emergency rescue personnel to save him has been identified as a 54-year-old Fort Worth man.
Edward Guillen was riding in River Legacy Parks in North Arlington when he fell to the ground, officials said. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:39 p.m. The man had a long history of illness, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner's office.According to reports, two men came upon Guillen shortly after he fell, and called 911.Soon afterward, two members of the North Texas Mountain Bike Patrol, a volunteer group that patrols the trails to help bikers, came upon the scene.Using cardiopulmonary resuscitation learned in patrol training and a mask carried in a medical emergency patrol kit, David Nelke and Ray Atayde tried to save him."We tried to revive him but couldn't," Nelke said, adding that he and Atayde had recently completed a CPR refresher course.He said they tried to resuscitate the man for 15 to 20 minutes, and paramedics tried for an additional 15 to 20 minutes after they arrived.Nelke said their chapter is part of a national group that provides medical and mechanical assistance to bikers on the trails. They wear red shirts emblazoned with white crosses."We're basically lifeguards of the trails," Nelke said, adding that they ride equipped with everything from bike tubes to medical supplies such as the CPR mask they used Tuesday. "We constantly look for people who need help."Guillen had no identification on him, which prompted Nelke to say that all sports enthusiasts should carry ID with a name and phone number.Although Nelke did not know Guillen, he expressed condolences of the patrol group to the man's family, saying, "We [mountain bikers] are a community."Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
