Mike Devich-Kern Valley Sun

A man who had been on a mountain biking trip was found dead last week by a Kern County Sheriff's Department helicopter about two miles southeast of Kernville.

Guy Moran, 38, of Bakersfield, was riding a mountain bike down the Cannell Trail east of Kernville Sunday, Aug. 27, with two friends. The Sheriff's Department said Moran became separated from his friends and did not show up to meet them at the end of the ride. Moran and his friends were staying in Kernville, and he did not show up at the motel, either.

The man and his companions worked together at the Dreyer's ice cream plant in Bakersfield.

Kern County and Tulare County Search and Rescue volunteers looked for Moran, aided by the helicopter. His body was found in a rugged area called the Potato Patch, which is not part of the Cannell Trail, about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29.

A Search and Rescue volunteer told the Sun Friday that Moran took a left fork on the trail instead of the right fork, which would have followed the trail. A sign on the trail showing the correct fork may have been down.

For unknown reasons, Moran apparently tried to forge ahead along the wrong fork, shedding equipment and empty water containers along the way. The weather was hot and Moran apparently was eventually overcome by the heat.

The Sheriff's Department said the case is being investigated as an accident, with exposure as the probable cause of death.