A 59-year-old Lincoln motorcyclist died in his tent this week while camping in South Dakota’s Black Hills.
Rodney C. Shafer had taken his Harley Road King and 12-year-old son to the Sturgis motorcycle rally, making camp at Sheridan Lake near Mount Rushmore.
The boy found his father dead early Thursday. He is believed to have suffered a heart attack, said Nate Shafer, another son.
“One of my dad’s friends came over and told me,†he said. “I thought they were joking.â€
His father was an avid biker, riding up to the rally as often as he could. And as far as Nate knew, his dad had been in good health.
Investigators found no reason to suspect Rodney Shafer died of foul play or because of an accident, said Patty Garland, a spokeswoman for the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.
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The 12-year-old’s grandparents drove to South Dakota to pick him up and bring him home, Nate Shafer said.
For the past eight years, Rodney Shafer was a truck driver for Schmidt’s Inc., picking up milk from dairies north of Lincoln and delivering it to Omaha or Le Mars, Iowa.
“He was a hard worker, good truck driver, good guy,†said owner Kevin Schmidt. “It’s just too bad.â€