The Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad located the body of a local man Monday after he was reported missing on his horse.

The Review has learned that Micheal Minnear was reportedly last see on horseback on Allen Ferry Road Sunday afternoon, where he split off from a group of riders and told them he was going home, a short distance away on Cordell love Road. When he did not arrive home, authorities were called, and a search ensued.

Members of the rescue squad began searching the area just before noon, and within 30 minutes they had located the body at the bottom of a ravine off Holmes Creek Road shortly after noon.

According to rescue squad member Joe Johnson, the man’s horse was found nearby as well.

"We were paged at 11:43 Monday morning to search for a man on a horse who had been missing since Sunday," Johnson said. "We arrived in the area and split up into four groups, and began the search from the Herb Cottage, where he was last seen, to his home on Cordell Love Road. At about 12:15 two members of the rescue squad spotted a red horse at the bottom of a ravine on Holmes Creek Road. When they walked down to the horse they found a man’s body. After the sheriff’s department completed their investigation we lowered a Stokes basket about 350 feet into the ravine and recovered the body."

Johnson said he would like to recognize his fellow rescue squad members for their speedy and thorough reaction in finding the man, and Dustin Johnson for doing an excellent job in coordinating the equipment and manpower for the search.