The Body of Missing Mountain Biker Matt Opperman Has Been Found
Opperman has been missing since late January after embarking on a ride near the Spanish municipality of Siles, and the Civil Guard has announced the finding of a body near a bike in the area. While the identity was unconfirmed before the autopsy, the results confirm that the recovered body is that of Matt Opperman, who went missing on January 24th, 2025.
After being reported missing for 22 days, search efforts were mobilized via social media, with the help of the Civil Guard, to comb the area with aerial surveillance and mobilized ground teams to locate the missing cyclist. Upon initial recon of the area, Opperman's vehicle was discovered near Castillo de Segura de La Sierra, which gave search and rescue a broad area to begin the search.
After days of uninterrupted searches of the area, volunteers discovered a bike and body that matched Opperman's description. After locating the remains, volunteers activated a beacon to call in the Civil Guard to recover and airlift the body for a thorough autopsy that later confirmed the identity.
The Spanish Government's sub-delegate in Jaén, Manuel Fernández, confirmed this Monday that the body found was that of Matt Opperman. Fernández noted that the documentation he held enabled them to confirm the body belonged to Matt Opperman, the 50-year-old American cyclist from Malaga.
The autopsy was performed after recovering the remains, but the cause of death is yet to be determined; it has been ruled out that it was violent. Volunteers who discovered the body reported that it was lying next to a tree near his bike.
Our deepest condolences go out to Matt's family and friends during this time.
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