After more than a week of searching for a missing Prior Lake man, it appears that the body of Ryan Sauer, 24, was found next to his vehicle at 10:04 a.m. today near County Road 66 in St. Lawrence Township, police said.

"It appears from preliminary observation that the victim succumbed to injuries resulting from a one-vehicle accident at that location," Prior Lake police Detective Chris Olson said.

Sauer's immediate family has been notified.

The body is currently in Hastings where it is being identified by the medical examiners.

The body and truck were found southwest of Jordan by a landowner who was checking on his land, Olson said. The landowner saw the truck and body and called police, he said.

At this point, police don't know the cause or the exact time of the accident. The result of a blood-alcohol test is also unknown pending further investigation.

The Scott County Sheriff's Office is investigating the accident.

Sauer went missing at about 4 a.m. on Jan. 18, after leaving the house where the mother of his ex-girlfriend lived in Helena Township. A missing persons report was filed on Jan. 20.

Later that morning, Sauer left a voicemail on a friend's phone saying, 'See you in the next life,' Olson said.

Following that message, there was no phone contact, bank or credit card activity from Sauer.

Friends, family and police gathered in the Prior Lake area last week to look for Sauer. On Jan. 22, the State Patrol searched a 5-mile area near Jordan by helicopter where police last heard a ping off a cell-phone tower.