Bend, OR – A 41-year-old Bend man who went missing after a Sunday motorcycle ride was found dead Monday morning in the Horse Ridge area, approximately 19 miles east of Bend, according to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies identified the victim as Eric Blayney, who had gone riding on off-highway vehicle (OHV) trails Sunday afternoon but never returned home. After family members grew concerned, he was reported missing to Bend Police around 3:00 a.m. Monday. The Life360 tracking app on his phone helped pinpoint his last known location.
Friends and deputies began searching the Horse Ridge area around 7:00 a.m. and discovered Blayney unresponsive at 10:41 a.m. on a private road connected to an OHV trail. Despite CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), medics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Preliminary findings suggest Blayney accidentally turned off the trail and onto a blocked private road, where he may have struck a metal chain across the roadway while traveling at high speed. His motorcycle was still in fourth gear when found, investigators said.
Authorities believe the incident was a tragic accident. Blayney’s wife and friends were notified shortly after the discovery.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office extended its condolences to Blayney’s family and friends.
