Motorcyclist who went missing found alive in ditch nearly 3 days later

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee man who had gone missing on his motorcycle was found alive nearly three days later after crashing, authorities said.

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According to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Taylor Boyle was found on Tuesday. He had last been seen on Oct. 15 at about 10 a.m. EDT, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported.

Investigators had released his photograph and a picture of his motorcycle after Boyle’s family filed a missing persons report, according to the newspaper.

He was found on Oct. 17 down an embankment between 30 to 50 feet off a back road in a rural area of Powell, located north of Knoxville, CNN reported.

“He’s extremely lucky to be alive,” Boyle’s friend, Cameron Williams, told CNN in a telephone interview Sunday.

Williams told WBIR-TV that Boyle left the northern Knoxville neighborhood of Fountain City and was heading north toward Heiskell.

“He told our buddy he was grabbing McDonald’s for breakfast and headed his way,” Williams told the television station.

Williams and several other of Boyle’s friends began to search the general area where they believed their friend might be found.

“We kind of had a good idea of where he came from and where he was going to,” Williams told WBIR.

Their instincts were good.

A group of three friends -- Brandon Lawson, Ryan French and Chase Lovelace -- noticed a path off the side of the road, and their flashlights reflected off the motorcycle, Williams told CNN.

“He seemed to be pretty coherent and awake and not in pain,” Williams told WBIR. “I think we really lucked up this time.”

According to CNN, Boyle remains hospitalized after taking a hard hit to the head and dislocating his elbow. He is expected to make a full recovery.