MTB rider Ben Threlfall was out riding a forestry trail with six clients when he was launched straight into the razor sharp wire which wrapped around his neck.
The trap was set across two trees on the downhill trail in Mynydd Ton in Ton Pentre, Rhondda, in South Wales, on Saturday.
Threlfall said: ‘It threw me off my bike and I honestly thought that my head was going to fall off. I thought “this is the point where I’m going to die“.
The near beheading of the owner of Afan Vlley bike explained the incident:
‘We were on a downhill part of the trail where riders usually pick up a lot of momentum and speed. I was probably going at around 30km/h (19mph) when I struck the barbed wire.
It wasn’t a slow impact, I hit it hard – so hard that the barbed wire snapped.
Luckily I’m a big bloke – I’m 6ft 3ins, so it cut across my chest and shoulders first, before sliding up to my neck and wrapping around my throat.’
Thankfully Mr Threlfall only sustained injuries of a cuts and bruises which he claims if it had been someone smaller ‘the wire wouldn’t have snapped and it would have taken their heads off their shoulders.No doubt they would have died.’
The incident took place in a quieter area of the forest which if it had been life threatening would have been extremely difficult for emergency services to get there in time. It has also been reported that another rider has found nails stuck into the ground in the same area.
The trails are being checked and maintained by the council to ensure safety to riders, however it is unclear who is doing this and their motives behind the booby-traps.