t first it was just rumours. As always. In New Zealand newspaper reports, for example here and hereThe first report was about a man who died on a mountain bike tour near Queenstown, New Zealand. It was not yet clear who it was and what exactly had happened. Rescue workers, who arrived by helicopter at the inaccessible spot on the Ben Lomond Track at 4.14 pm local time (3.14 am CET), were only able to determine the death of the apparent casualty.
It is now a sad certainty: New Zealand freeride star Kelly McGarry is dead. He died today, Monday 1 February 2016, on his mountain bike. The exact circumstances are unclear. "The toughest creature in the world", as the commentators called Kelly McGarry after he seemingly survived two monster crashes at the 2014 Rampage without a scratch, turned 33.
His bike sponsor YT Industries has since confirmed McGarry's death in a press release:
"The news from New Zealand reached us this morning. We are paralysed, shocked and very saddened to lose a member of our family. Kelly was an always cheerful, warm and relaxed guy who represented the feeling of mountain biking with every fibre of his body. Our condolences go out to his partner, his family and his friends. The mountain bike world has lost an extraordinary character. We are proud that Kelly spent the last year riding for the YT Family. It was an honour!"
We mourn the loss of a charismatic and particularly likeable member of the bike community. Our sympathy goes out to his family and friends.
