Authorities launched a search for a missing person Monday afternoon after learning that a car had tumbled hundreds of feet down a steep cliff near Point Mugu two days earlier.
It’s unclear why one of the occupants of the vehicle waited days to report the incident, which took place off of Deer Creek Road northwest of the Malibu border on Saturday, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
The individual who eventually reported the crash managed to self-extricate from the mangled car and leave the scene in another vehicle — but did not call 911 that night, the Fire Department said.
Firefighters told OnScene.TV that a white Cadillac SUV rolled over multiple times before coming to rest on its roof 1,000 feet below the road.
On Monday afternoon, the occupant reported that two people who were in the car during the incident were missing, and a search was launched. Shortly after the search began, one of the passengers was located at home, the Fire Department said.
Authorities continued to search for the third occupant into the night using a helicopter, drones, K-9 teams and search-and-rescue crews, according to officials.