Police are investigating what appears to be a very dangerous case of sabotage on a public bike path in Verdun

Claude Beaulé was bicycling across the pedestrian/cyclist Claude Brunet bridge on Sept. 5 when he ran into a fishing line that had been strung across the bridge at the height of his neck.

He spotted the line a split second before he ran into it, and suffered severe injuries as a result.

Beaulé said he was able to get a hand on the line before it would have cut into his neck. The impact with the line knocked him to the ground where he broke three teeth and suffered a concussion.

Two pedestrians came to his aid, but he was in shock and got back on his bike to continue home.

He then spotted two police officers, also on bicycle, and told them about the incident.

Those officers then checked all the bridges in the park to ensure they were safe.

Beaulé wants to warn other cyclists to be on the lookout.

"I juggle with the idea of not saying anything or telling everyone that there's one more danger to get aware of, because cycling is dangerous in Montreal. People are getting killed, people are getting bruised and fractured every day. I'm not the only one. But adding that to the potential danger you can get riding on the road it's quite obnoxious. It made me mad at some point," said Beaulé.

Police have opened an investigation but with no surveillance video, and no witnesses to someone stringing fishing line across the bridge, they have very little to go on.

Other cyclists and motorcycle riders have been hurt by fishing line or ropes strung across roads and trails, but such incidents are rare and this, too, appears to be an isolated case.

Beaulé does not think he, personally, was targetted, but he is certain the line was put there on purpose.

He has yet to return to work because of his concussion.