Dakar Rally 2021: Hero Rider CS Santosh Safely Transferred To Bengaluru Hospital, Brought Out Of Com

Hero MotoSports Team Rally rider CS Santosh has been transferred from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to his hometown Bengaluru, Karnataka. The team has confirmed the development and also revealed that the young rider has been brought out of sedation. However, he will continue to spend time in the CCU at the hospital in order to monitor his recovery. Santosh was part of the three-rider Hero MotoSports squad participating in the 2021 Dakar Rally, but the fastest Indian had an unfortunate crash in Stage 4 which resulted in head trauma.

Also Read: Dakar Rally 2021: CS Santosh Out Of Dakar Following Crash In Stage 4

A statement from Hero MotoSports Team Rally read, "C S Santosh was transferred by Air Ambulance from Riyadh to Bengaluru on Thursday without any issues. As per the latest information, he has been brought out of the induced coma successfully. He is now receiving the next stage of treatment and continues to be in CCU for observation. We will share further updates at appropriate times."

CS Santosh was placed at P34 in the general standings at the start of Stage 4 where he crashed

The news does come as a relief to fans and well-wishers of the rider, as he stays close to his family. CS Santosh started Dakar 2021 on a positive note and was making progress with every stage. He was placed 34th in the overall standings at the start of Stage 4. However, the rider suffered the crash 135 km into the stage at 11.45 am local time. Husqvarna's Paul Spierings found the rider unconscious and had to resuscitate Santosh before the paramedics arrived. Santosh was then airlifted to a hospital and placed in an induced coma in order to restrict his movements, following a dislocated right shoulder and head trauma.

Also Read: Dakar Rally 2021: CS Santosh In Medically Induced Coma & Stable, Confirms Hero MotoSports

Meanwhile, Santosh's teammates fared well in the remaining stages of the 2021 Dakar. Joaquim Rodrigues finished 11th overall, while Sebastian Buhler took 14th in the general standings. The team also managed to bag nine top-10 stage finishes in the rally out of 12.