A trail of blood was found near the abandoned dirt bike.

The Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue team joined forces with county aviation and fire units this weekend to find a missing dirt bike rider, who suffered two broken arms and a broken leg in a backcountry accident.

The 38-year-old resident of Santa Maria went out Saturday, April 2. He was last seen near Tepusquet Road in Santa Maria. When he didn’t return home that night, friends called to report the biker missing. The former Marine is familiar with the area and an avid rider, Sheriff’s officials said.

Search and Rescue started their hunt around 2 a.m. Sunday morning. With the help of air support, the dirt bike was found abandoned with signs of a collision. Nearby were footprints and a trail of blood. Following the trail, rescue workers eventually found the biker near La Brea Canyon. He had sustained two broken arms and a broken leg. A friend had hiked up and found him earlier, putting a splint on his broken arm until help could arrive.

The search involved 16 people working over 12 hours to find the missing man. In a statement, Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kelly Hoover made sure to recognize the team for their hard work. “The Sheriff’s Office also wants to take this opportunity to thank our highly trained volunteer Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue team who are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” she said.

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