"My family is heartbroken to share the news that Ed has been found but he is no longer with us," Debbie Cavanaugh Schultz wrote to a Facebook group where friends and family of missing school teacher Ed Cavanaugh had gathered to organize a search operation. ABC 7 and the Associated Press are also reporting that authorities believe a body found in the El Dorado National Forest is that of Cavanaugh.
Known to retreat to a cabin in the El Dorado National Forest, Cavanaugh, 44, was an avid survivalist, incorporating wilderness skills into his curriculum for at-risk youth. But the beloved member of the faculty at San Francisco’s Downtown Continuation High School hadn't been seen in weeks, worrying friends in part because he suffered from Type 1 diabetes (though Cavanaugh reportedly travelled nowhere without insulin).
Friends, family, and students mounted a major search effort fundraising campaign with one of Cavanaugh's friends transforming the teacher's Oak Street apartment into a search-and-rescue headquarters. Mountain bike riders, hikers, and even helicopters scoured the area were Cavanaugh was last seen: On July 17th, a wildlife surveillance camera caught him on his dirt bike deep in the National Forest.
Sadly, KRON 4 reports that yesterday one search team member located Cavanaugh's blue Yamaha YZ 250 along with a body to be identified by the coroner's office. A cause of death has yet to be determined.
"We regret to put this information out on social media but the press has already begun reporting this terrible news," continued Debbie Cavanaugh Schultz on the search group page where Cavanaugh is now being memorialized and eulogized by his large circle. "We hope all who love Ed find comfort in knowing that his bright spirit is with us."
Previously: Beloved Teacher Missing For Two Weeks In El Dorado National Forest