MURRIETA, CA — More than $11,000 has been raised for a Southern California family hit last week by a terrible accident in Murrieta.

“On May 10, Jimmy and some friends went mountain biking in Murrieta. It was a trail they had been on before, and despite being an avid mountain biker, Jimmy took a fall that ended up being catastrophic,” reads a GoFundMe page established for the family of Jimmy Francis. “He was airlifted to the closest hospital with a trauma center. He is currently in the ICU and is expected to have a recovery that will prohibit his movement for quite a while. Jimmy is a veteran, a Cub Scout leader and a local chef, on top of being a dedicated husband and father. He has two beautiful children and is very involved in their daily lives.”

As a chef at his San Diego-based company, Flights by Jimmy, Francis offers his cooking services for dinner parties and brunches.

Just after 12 p.m. Friday, multiple agencies helped rescue the injured mountain biker from a remote Murrieta trail in the hills abutted by Keller Road and Scenic View Drive, just west of Interstate 215. The area is near the Greer Ranch Trailhead, a popular destination for mountain bikers and hikers.

According to Murrieta Fire & Rescue, the injured rider had to be hoisted from the area by a Riverside County Sheriff’s helicopter. The rider was then transferred to an awaiting AMR ambulance and driven to a nearby hospital. The patient was in stable condition, MF&R spokesperson Dawn Morrison said.

In addition to Murrieta Fire & Rescue and the sheriff’s department, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department was also called to the incident.

According to the GoFundMe page, the money raised for the Francis family will help pay for assistance during Jimmy’s recovery period.

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