SIX MILE — The search for a man who had been missing for more than a week came to a tragic end late Thursday, when his body was discovered in a secluded area behind Six Mile Elementary School.

Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Creed Hashe said Christopher Allen Tankersley, 30, was discovered shortly after 9 p.m. a short distance into the wooded area. Hashe said evidence recovered at the scene indicated Tankersley had died several days earlier from self-inflicted injuries.

The sheriff’s office had been assisting Spartanburg County authorities in attempting to determine the whereabouts of Tankersley. The 30-year-old was first reported missing July 14 after having last been seen the previous evening after visiting a friend in Six Mile. Hashe said Tankersley left a friend’s home on a 2016 Kawasaki motorcycle and said he was headed to his home in Boiling Springs.

But Tankersley never showed up at home, and Hashe said the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, along with Tankersley’s family and friends, proceeded to search for him and any information in the following days that would answer questions regarding his disappearance.

“During the initial stages of the investigation, the sheriff’s office canvassed the area and interviewed numerous residents and acquaintances,” Hashe said. “Area convenience stores were contacted for any possible surveillance video that may have captured images of Tankersley.”

After requesting and obtaining search warrants to retrieve and review cellphone records, Hashe said the sheriff’s office flew a helicopter in the area between Six Mile and Boiling Springs. However, no signs of Tankersley or his motorcycle could be found.

But Hashe added the sheriff’s office was notified Thursday evening that a motorcycle had been seen by an area resident earlier this week parked in a secluded area near a nature trail behind Six Mile Elementary. Deputies responded to the location and found the motorcycle, as well as Tankersley’s body a short distance away.

Hashe said a shotgun that Tankersley bought from a friend on the date he disappeared was found next to his body.