— A Massachusetts man who was fulfilling his lifelong dream of bicycling down the East Coast when he disappeared was found dead Wednesday afternoon.

Richard Moreau, 66, was found dead in a rural part of Nash County, police said. His body was discovered in his tent near U.S. Highway 264 Alternate, west of Middlesex.

Police said it appears as though Moreau died of natural causes.

Moreau was fulfilling a dream to ride his bicycle from Massachusetts to Florida when he went missing after visiting a Knightdale shop on Sept. 17. His family said that he had been checking in daily and was off of his intended route when he stopped in Knightdale.

When Moreau’s family last heard from him, he had just purchased a new phone and said that he would be spending the night camping. Knightdale police worked with the phone company to determine the last location of Moreau’s new phone, which led them to Middlesex, where they found his body in a shady area that was not far from the road.

Following his disappearance, Moreau’s family had set up a Facebook page to help locate him, and some traveled to the Triangle to help search.

“Our hearts are heavy. Richard was one of the greatest people anyone could wish to know,” said a post by Moreau’s stepdaughter, Kelly Erskine. “He leaves behind a loving wife, son, three stepdaughters, and six grandchildren that will miss him dearly.”

UPDATE: To all our dear friends and family, the people who came out to help us, shared a post or word of encouragement... Posted by Help us find Richard Moreau - Missing Bicyclist on Wednesday, September 23, 2015