A rider was seriously injured Sunday when he crashed his bicycle in the mountains above Santa Barbara, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

Firefighters and other emergency personnel responded at 11:35 a.m. after the cyclist used his cell phone to call 9-1-1, fire Capt. David Sadecki said.

The victim, who landed 10 to 15 feet over the side of East Camino Cielo Road near La Cumbre Peak, was initially difficult to locate, Sadecki said, and crews had to cut through thick brush to reach him.

The rider was placed in a Stokes basket and brought to a waiting helicopter about an hour after the original call, Sadecki said.

The man, whose name was not released, suffered moderate to severe injuries, and was taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

Assisting in the rescue were personnel from the U.S. Forest Service, the Santa Barbara County sheriff’s Search & Rescue Team and CALSTAR, Sadecki said.

— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.