CA CA - Brian Fernandez, 21, & Olivia Gonzalez (dec'd), 20, Los Angeles, 23 Dec 2016

[tarabull]

When I was a kid, I remember the tides along Big Sur being reeeeeealllly strong and my uncle being bit on the ankle by a shark down there. If Brian landed in the water or near it, his body probably would have been pulled out, down and far away before the sea gave him back. There could still be evidence in the car trapped in little creases or pockets where it couldn't be washed away (hopefully) considering they were able to recover clothes etc.

As another example, there was a 20-something in Ireland last year and a girl in Oregon that were both found quite some time after going missing after they washed up. The Irish lad was found several km away from where he could have entered the sea, and the girl in a nearby shallow inlet where things wash up regularly. I think it is odd for LE to believe they should have found him by now - sea rescues are needles in haystacks with added complications. Maybe they feel it was suspicious because of where damage was found at the scene (or the lack of it) or they haven't found any evidence of Brian at all to suggest he was even there. That certainly doesn't mean he wasn't.

This article has another photo of the car and cliff - you can see that it is not vertical but still very steep (ie the car likely tumbled rather than fell). At the end is a little slideshow with a map that gives a timeline.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article125086044.html

Here is a direct link to the slideshow so you can see everything: https://uploads.knightlab.com/story...df4fa0d1da49ce/ragged-point-couple/draft.html

Arrow thru the timeline to the 5th spot on the map - it's titled "Pair possibly spotted..." a lady believes she saw the couple with two large dogs at Ragged Point on Dec 23, & THAT would place them beyond the actual crash site.

:tyou: for this link Vail!

 

[slowpoke]

Just a few thoughts as I try to catch up to speed with you all. Excuse me if they have been discussed already.

The sighting at Ragged Point by someone...was that further north, by the Ragged Point Inn, or actually at the Ragged Point View point where the car went off the cliff?

Is it known what was purchased at the Cambria store? I heard it described as a liquor store, but many times those stores have snacks, soft drinks and other merchandise like souvenirs. If it WAS liquor, they may have drank it soon after and it may have played a role in their accident.

Regarding a body drifting far from the place the car was located, I am recalling a case that brought me to WS, that of Shantina Smiley and her son Azriel Carver, who went missing in the state of WA. Her car was found by the water's edge, but the pair were not there. Young Azriel's body was later found, washed up on a beach about 18 miles away. Her body was never found. So, I believe it can happen that a body can be far from the site, or never found when it comes to an ocean death.

 

[tarabull]

slowpoke...

FWIW The photo with the report of them being seen is of the INN eta: UNDER the photo it says "Ragged Point Resort is a popular stop for Big Sur travellers on Hwy 1."
( https://uploads.knightlab.com/story...df4fa0d1da49ce/ragged-point-couple/draft.html )

I've seen it reported they bought gas and liquor....collectively.

 

[LaborDayRN]

This is hard to write, but could the young man's body be lodged in the rocks somewhere?
It appears to be quite a drop down to the ocean....

Oh gawd that sounds so awful, please forgive me.

If it makes you feel any better, I wondered the same thing when I saw the photo of what was left of the car in the boulders.

 

[breez]

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[tarabull]

:welcome6: breez.................

 

[tarabull]

Search resumes for missing North Hollywood man after car went over cliff
3 hours ago

http://www.dailynews.com/general-ne...north-hollywood-man-after-car-went-over-cliff
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Search for missing North Hollywood man continues near Ragged Point
4 hours ago

Snipped...

...Authorities have found no sign of Fernandez. Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Cipolla said the agency does not suspect foul play.

... Cipolla said the crews would look for him until Wednesday night and continue the search Thursday, weather permitting.

...The car was pulled from the bottom of the cliff last Thursday and was taken to a facility to be investigated, CHP public information officer Patrick Seebart said. The results of an autopsy performed last week on Gonzalez are pending.

Read more here: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article125997449.html#storylink=cpy

[video at link]

 

[mocity]

Search resumes for missing North Hollywood man after car went over cliff
3 hours ago

http://www.dailynews.com/general-ne...north-hollywood-man-after-car-went-over-cliff
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Search for missing North Hollywood man continues near Ragged Point
4 hours ago

Snipped...


Read more here: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article125997449.html#storylink=cpy

[video at link]

Wow. Watching that video is so terrible. Between the steep cliff, raging water, rocks. It's just scary. Very sad situation for the couple and his pups.


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[Northern Light]

Arrow thru the timeline to the 5th spot on the map - it's titled "Pair possibly spotted..." a lady believes she saw the couple with two large dogs at Ragged Point on Dec 23, & THAT would place them beyond the actual crash site.

:tyou: for this link Vail!

Studied the map by Vail and after looking at many theories options, my conclusion is a freak accident of some kind. No idea how, could be anything, dogs, brake failure, bottle under brake as someone said.

 

[Tssiemer]

Could they have been ran off the road by a car or animal?


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[GigTu]

As said before, it could have been as simple as going to slam the brakes but accidentally punching the gas pedal instead. For example, If they had been drinking and it was foggy, they could have rolled up to park because they knew they shouldn't drive and got too close to the edge, and the next thing they knew....

The component of alcohol could have contributed to not thinking clearly, which could have even played a huge role in a series of unimaginable small mistakes that led to the accident. The perfect storm. Who knows? I don't think we will ever know that actual lead up to the accident, even if tox reports come back saying Olivia had a high level of alcohol in her blood, or none.

We don't even know who was driving.

 

[InsightfulSage]

Search resumes for missing North Hollywood man after car went over cliff
3 hours ago

http://www.dailynews.com/general-ne...north-hollywood-man-after-car-went-over-cliff
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Search for missing North Hollywood man continues near Ragged Point
4 hours ago

Snipped...


Read more here: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article125997449.html#storylink=cpy

[video at link]

Glad to hear LE does not suspect foul play. Too much of that in this world [emoji22].


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[Northern Light]

Glad to hear LE does not suspect foul play. Too much of that in this world [emoji22].


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This is good news that it's been ruled out. Really very sad outcome for two young people and their families and friends.

 

[Vail]

After watching that video, unless some incredible feat sent the car flying through the air over the stumps, they are just too tall to have gone over. The gap between the tree and last stump looks just wide enough (if the point of no return was indeed in the stump zone). I was studying the side-view photo posted upthread last night and the cliff has a sort of spine going down the centre of the lookout that would effect where the car lands if you think of it like a game of plinko. Looking at how the car ended up on the left/north side of that spine(looking AT the cliff from the sea) they would either have had to be coming at the hill directly, like turning into the lookout and driving straght thru the gap off the cliff, or coming from the south, crossing a lane and arcing off to land on that side.

 

[kaen]

Good to read that foul play is ruled out. That said, I imagine her family will always wonder how this happened and if there is a reason why.

 

[Lilibet]

Here is the exact quote from LE confirming that they do not suspect foul play.

Authorities have found no sign of Fernandez. Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Cipolla said the agency does not suspect foul play.

IMO, MOO It's really too bad that the foul play theory was strongly argued on victim-friendly WS and I'm very glad we can officially put it to rest...not just because a mod tells us to. I will self censor the rest of what I'd like to say about this, except that I hope a lesson has been learned. We are kind and considerate of families. :heartbeat:
JMO, MOO, etc.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article125997449.html

 

[ms_x_to_the_m]

Im glad le has indicated no foul play suspected. Especially since they called the accident suspicious in the past.
I ran with that suspicion. My aplogies if it was done in bad taste.

All MOO!

 

[LisaWL7TR]

Here is the exact quote from LE confirming that they do not suspect foul play.

Authorities have found no sign of Fernandez. Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Cipolla said the agency does not suspect foul play.

IMO, MOO It's really too bad that the foul play theory was strongly argued on victim-friendly WS and I'm very glad we can officially put it to rest...not just because a mod tells us to. I will self censor the rest of what I'd like to say about this, except that I hope a lesson has been learned. We are kind and considerate of families. [emoji813]beat:
JMO, MOO, etc.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article125997449.html

Again, I never suspected foul play even if I didn't say nor do I suspect drinking and driving just because they stopped at somewhere that sold liquor.
Innocent until proven guilty and WS is victim friendly.
Plus...I am just not feeling it.

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[granola]

If you could get ticketed at a parking lot for staying there overnight... perhaps they parked in the gap to avoid being seen and ticketed? Sorry if I'm late on this, just catching up on the thread.

 

[MichJustice]

IMO, MOO It's really too bad that the foul play theory was strongly argued on victim-friendly WS and I'm very glad we can officially put it to rest...not just because a mod tells us to. I will self censor the rest of what I'd like to say about this, except that I hope a lesson has been learned. We are kind and considerate of families. :heartbeat:
JMO, MOO, etc.

I am a newbie but think this is a hard balance. With the sister stating that OG was going to end the relationship, and no sign of BF at the crash site, it is reasonable to question things in a delicate and respectful way. We know many women are victims (statistically) of their husband, boyfriend, significant other, etc., so it natural to want to speak up about that possibility and not sweep it under the rug. It is hard to know where that line is but it is so sad that both of these young lives with their canine friends left this earth way too early.