Cycle Oregon volunteer still missing after two weeks

Bicyclists will gather for a bike ride this weekend in Portland to help raise awareness about the heart-wrenching disappearance of a Cycle Oregon volunteer two weekends ago.

Mark Bosworth, 54, was last seen leaving a tent area in the host city of Riddle the evening of Sept. 16. He was reported missing the next morning after his tent was empty.

At the time, friends said Bosworth appeared disoriented at times and complained of headaches, although he responded he was “just fine.”

Cycling luminaries Greg Lemond and Lance Armstrong recently helped
spread the word about Bosworth, a two-time cancer survivor, through
their Twitter and Facebook accounts. There is a $10,000 reward for information that locates him.

Details about his disappearance and search efforts can be found at FindMark.org. Also, check out the FindMark Facebook page.

The search for Bosworth has expanded from the area around Riddle to a nationwide manhunt. Because he had become confused about his surroundings, authorities say he might have left the area entirely. Interstate 5 is just 3 miles away.

Bosworth, an employee with Metro in Portland, is 6 feet tall and weighs 180 pounds. He was wearing a gray-hooded sweatshirt, yellow Cycle Oregon cap and black bicycle pants the last time he was seen.

Confusion

On Monday, Bosworth's wife, Julie, two daughters and brother talked about his condition on the days leading up to his disappearance.

“Initially, while at Cycle Oregon,
Mark had been asked to shuttle riders and equipment from place to place, but
organizers were concerned about his driving. He only rode one day of the event
because he was having trouble following the signs. He was often seen standing
alone, staring – behavior unusually to him. Mark shrugged off concerns from
those around him, saying he had a headache and was tired.

“In the weeks prior to his Cycle
Oregon ride, Mark was repeating himself, according to his daughter Kelly. He
also seemed less active and his wife, Julie, said he had complained of bad
headaches. It was concerning enough that he scheduled appointments with his
oncologist and opthamologist – but made them for after Cycle Oregon. An avid
cyclist, he didn’t want to miss it.”

Cancer survivor

Bosworth was treated for non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2007 and again in 2009. After that second treatment, he underwent a bone marrow transplant in April 2010.

Doctors told Bosworth's brother that his cancer could have returned to his brain, or he could be suffering an infection in the brain related to the transplant.

Earlier, Julie Bosworth said she received a call from her husband during Cycle Oregon in which he said they were in Ontario, Canada.

Authorities say he could be heading to locations from his past — New York City, Minnesota, Iowa, or Chicago, Santa Cruz, North Carolina, Missouri or Florida where he has family ties.

Dependable

Jerry
Norquist, executive director of Cycle Oregon, helped organize search efforts that drew nearly 100 from Portland last week. He told the Oregonian:

“We
have known Mark for a long time and he's a very dependable guy and
always on time, the first one to get there and the first one to help. … He
wasn't his normal self.” He said ride officials asked
Bosworth if anything was wrong, but Bosworth said he was “doing OK” and
“said he had reasons why he was a little bit off.”

Feel free to print and distribute this missing persons poster. Anyone with information should contact the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at (541) 957-2099, leave a phone number, and refer to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Case # 11-3534.

Let's hope this ends well.