Family and friends said they initiated the search early Thursday morning that led to the discovery of an Albert Lea man who crashed his motorcycle north of Albert Lea.

Christopher Michael Edwards, 22, was last seen at about 11 p.m. Wednesday at a friend’s house and had not returned home when family and friends began searching for him. They notified the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office at 4:30 a.m.

His fiancee’s father found him at about 5:35 a.m. Thursday, according to family and friends. The searchers then notified Freeborn County sheriff’s deputies of Edwards’ location.

Edwards was reportedly traveling south on County Road 22 in a 1973 Honda motorcycle when he failed to negotiate a curve near the road’s intersection with 250th Street.

The motorcycle appeared to have entered the ditch and flipped twice, throwing him off the motorcycle.

He was not wearing a helmet and suffered life-threatening head injuries. Authorities have said alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash.

He remained in critical condition at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester Friday afternoon, according to a hospital spokeswoman.