A man was found dead inside a partially submerged vehicle in a flooded area of Lancaster on Friday, according to local authorities. The body was discovered as an LAFD helicopter flew over the area near 58th Street East and Avenue H-10 around 9:45 a.m., reported NBC4. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department indicated that the car, hidden from the roadway due to the terrain and extensive flooding, was spotted hours after a powerful winter storm had hit the region.
Family members who had been searching for a relative reported finding the vehicle earlier, leading to the aerial search and eventual recovery. According to the CBS Los Angeles news release, the car, described as a "blue sedan," was not visible from the road due to significant floodwater. The vehicle was said to have been submerged up to its wheels in mud, surrounded by runoff water, as shown in a video.
Once the site was reached, LA County Fire Department air rescue personnel extracted the deceased man from the vehicle. Despite not being visible from the road, he was pronounced dead at the scene by deputies from the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station and the Los Angeles County Fire Department, as per ABC7. The identity of the man, along with the cause of death, remains under investigation and will be released at a later time pending the findings of the LA County Coroner, the LASD stated.
The Lancaster Sheriff’s Station and LA County Fire Department responded to the scene, finding the vehicle and declaring the man dead, shared in a statement obtained by FoxLA. Details surrounding the circumstances of the man’s passing, including whether or not it was directly related to the recent storm, have yet to be clarified as the investigation continues.
