Crime & Safety

Search and Rescue Team Finds Dead Body in Canyon

The team had been scouting for training locations between Calabasas and Malibu when the vehicle was spotted about 150 feet down in a canyon off Mulholland Road.

A woman's body was found near a car in a canyon below Calabasas Sunday, Sept. 2 during a search and rescue training session, sheriff's officials announced Saturday.

The body was found around 12:30 p.m. Sunday off Mulholland Highway, about two miles east of Las Virgenes Road, said Reserve Sgt. David Katz of the Malibu Search and Rescue Team at the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff's station.

Officials scouting locations for upcoming training exercises last weekend noticed an overturned sport utility vehicle resting on its roof, Katz said.

Find out what's happening in Calabasaswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"When they investigated further they discovered the body of a woman, who appeared to be the driver," according to Katz.

Her body, which had been thrown from the car, was found in the brush nearby.

Find out what's happening in Calabasaswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Investigators believe the vehicle belonged to the woman and that she had been living in it, Katz said.

Tire marks at the scene showed the vehicle sped off the road and was launched about 150 feet into the canyon below.

The vehicle was spotted during a search and rescue training session in the area. The crash likely occurred in July, according to the sheriff's department.

Sheriff's search and rescue officials used their team's hydraulic truck and winch system to hoist the body from the canyon after the coroner's initial investigation was complete.

-City News Service contributed to this report.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.