Buckeye police: Man's death after bike ride likely heat related
A man who died from what appeared to be heat-related causes in a desert area Sunday afternoon has been identified, according to the Buckeye Police Department.
The deceased individual was identified as 73-year-old James Van de Voorde of Buckeye.
At about 1:45 p.m. on Sunday, police received a report from a woman who said her husband went out for a bike ride in the Sun City Festival area and had not arrived at the fire station at West Wagner Complex Drive and North Desert Oasis Boulevard, where they initially agreed to meet after the bike ride, according to a news release.
The woman explained to police that her husband, who was in his 70s, called her earlier on Sunday saying that his bike got a flat tire in a desert area west of the fire station, and he was attempting to walk to the fire station where she could pick him up, the news release said.
Police and fire crews then started searching for the man and found him dead in the desert.
"This appears to be a heat-related death, but the medical examiner's office will ultimately determine (the) cause of death," said Officer Carissa Planalp, a spokesperson for the Buckeye Police Department.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: James Van de Voorde dies after riding bike, Buckeye police say
