SILVERADO CANYON : 2 Lost Bikers Found by Sheriff’s Deputy

Two bikers who got lost on separate cycling trips Sunday afternoon spent much of the night together before being found by an Orange County sheriff’s deputy early Monday, officials said.

The two lost cyclers--Mike Landers, 22, of Irvine and Jeffrey Mark Sada, 30, of Long Beach--encountered each other deep in Silverado Canyon late Sunday, and made it to within a mile of the canyon’s road Monday morning when they were found by the deputy.

Both bikers suffered cuts and bruises but neither required medical treatment, said officials.

Landers, a student on academic hiatus who now works for the city of Irvine, had taken a solo bike trip into the canyon Sunday afternoon when he got lost, according to officials.

Around the same time, Sada left a group of friends with whom he was biking, telling them he wanted to reach the peak of Maple Springs Trail.

When he didn’t return to the rendezvous spot later that afternoon, his friends called for help. Soon bloodhounds, helicopters and patrol cars were combing the Silverado and Modjeska canyon areas.

Riverside police, the California Highway Patrol and the Forestry Service were also on alert, said Sgt. Dan Martini of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. No one had reported Landers missing.

By 1 a.m., searchers had not found Sada and most gave up the search for the night.

Meanwhile, Sada, carrying his mountain bike, which had gotten two flat tires, had encountered Landers.

The deputy found the pair about 3:20 a.m.

Sada met up with his wife at the Silverado fire station shortly thereafter.

Landers got home at about 4:30 a.m, according to his mother, Sandy Landers.

“He’s OK,” she said, adding that her son wasn’t upset about having gotten lost but was glad to have been able to provide comfort and support to Sada.