Lansing-area man dies of heart attack while mountain biking at Pinckney state park

By Pete Cunningham Sports Director

Posted on Tue, Jun 12, 2012 : 1:34 p.m.

A Lansing-area man died Sunday on the mountain biking trails at the Pinckney State Recreation Area.

John Morlock, 67, of Laingsburg, was mountain biking with his son, Zachary-John Morlock, 17, and stepson, Scott Brenton, 25, on Sunday afternoon when he is believed to have suffered a massive heart attack and died. Morlock had suffered a heart attack 17 years prior, according to Sgt. Geoffrey Fox of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department.

According to the incident report, Zachary-John and Brenton heard their father coughing mildly but thought nothing of it as they rode ahead along the trails. They eventually looked back to find their father out of sight. After backtracking along the trails, they found Morlock lying on the ground next to his bike.

Brenton and Zachary-John went to retrieve help at the park's office and call 9-1-1 while passers-by attended to him. A nurse who was in the area performed CPR.

The 9-1-1 call came in at 4:01 p.m. and Huron Valley Ambulance and the Dexter Fire Department responded to the scene to find Morlock not breathing and without a heartbeat. Morlock was pronounced dead on the scene after rescuers attempted to revive him for 45 minutes.

"He was a respected physician and patient advocate. He loved the out of doors and especially enjoyed cycling. John was an extremely unique individual who loved life and his family with a fierce devotion," an obituary said.

Visitation will be held from 2-4 p.m. and from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes' East Chapel, 1730 E. Grand River Ave. in East Lansing. A funeral service will be held on Thursday at 5 p.m. at the chapel.

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Contact Pete Cunningham at petercuningham@annarbor.com or by phone at 734-623-2561. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.