Berkeley mountain biker found dead in Sierra County

DOWNIEVILLE, Calif. (KOLO) - Searchers found a Berkeley mountain biker dead Tuesday in Sierra County.

Joel Lusk on Friday took a mountain bike shuttle from Downieville, Calif., to the Packer Lake Saddle area of Sierra County, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office said.

Lusk planned to camp at the Gold Lake Basin area after mountain biking, the sheriff’s office said.

On Monday, his wife said she had not heard from Lusk, the sheriff’s office said.

Search crews from Marin and Nevada counties helped the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office. The California National Guard provided a Blackhawk helicopter.

By 11:40 a.m., search crews found his mountain bike about 100 feet below the trail.

Search and rescue rope teams rappelled down the cliffs and into the Pauly Creek drainage. They used a drone to find his body about 900 feet downstream. Search crews used the Blackhawk helicopter to retrieve his body.