Matt Opperman, a father of two and a highly experienced bicycle mechanic with a career spanning over two decades, has not been heard from since Jan. 24. He was last known to be in the Segura de la Sierra in Jaén, Spain. His vehicle was recently found near Castillo de Segura de La Sierra, which ignited a rallying of search and rescue teams to locate the 50-year-old mountain biker.
Matts Volkswagen Van, which was found near Castillo de Segura de La Sierra.Photo: Spain_DH
His family told reporters that he was headed to the Segura de la Sierra, in the Andalucía mountains, to stay at an alpine cabin and explore the terrain nearby. His friends and family have sparked a social media campaign calling for help locating Opperman.
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Matt is a competent cyclist and in excellent physical condition, making the situation even more worrying. Opperman is a member of the SpainDh cycling club, which guides and arranges mountain bike adventures through the area, so he is no stranger to the environment. He often sets out for long and remote rides in the area, and it is unknown if Matt had a form of satellite communication, which would have likely already been used to contact friends and family.
Two search parties have been organized, with around 500 regional responders involved in the search of the mountains in that area. The search and rescue efforts are scheduled to take place this weekend, Sat. Feb. 8 and Sun. Feb. 9.
Guardia Civil officers and the deployment of a search and rescue helicopter have conducted initial search efforts. The rugged landscape and dense tree coverage make locating anything from the air difficult, which has led to the organization of these two ground operations to find Matt. The search area of Segura de la Sierra is roughly 86.49 square miles, and the rescue parties will comb the area on foot and on bike to find the missing cyclist.
His friends at SpainDH have called for the public’s help in finding Matt, “It’s been more than a week that nothing has been heard from him. If you have any news that can help us find him, write in private. Thank you very much and a big hug to all.”
If you are in the area and have any information that could help in the search, you can message @SpainDH on Instagram.
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