Apparent heart attack on mountain bike ride claims local’s life

Hall of Famer on 409

By Mark Reaman

Local emergency personnel were called out Tuesday afternoon for a longtime local who suffered an apparent heart attack while riding the 409 trail that runs between the Brush Creek and Cement Creek drainages. Sixty-six-year-old Don Cook died from the incident.

According to Crested Butte Fire Protection District EMS and fire chief Rob Weisbaum, the department received a page just after 1 o’clock Tuesday for the report of a possible heart attack with the victim not breathing but CPR was being administered on the Cement Creek side of the trail.

“Six members from our team along with a Mt. CB police officer responded and were able to access the patient fairly quickly considering the location,” he said. “Simultaneously, CB Search and Rescue assembled a five-person team to assist while Careflight was launched for forward staging at Buckhorn.” 

Weisbaum said a friend of Cook’s who was on the ride performed CPR for as long as they could and he commended them for their efforts. “Once our team arrived, they performed resuscitative efforts, however, the efforts were unsuccessful and the mission changed to bringing the patient out of the backcountry.”  

Mt. Crested Butte police chief Nate Stepanik said Careflight was called off about 1:30 after CPR had been discontinued. 

“Our deepest condolences go out to the family, loved ones and to all those effected by this tragic loss of life,” said Weisbaum.

Cook and his brother Steve were among the early mountain bike pioneers who lived in Crested Butte in the 1970s and ‘80s who explored and built many of the local singletrack trails now enjoyed by thousands of people every summer. He is a member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and an original founder of the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association.