A car went over the side of the Pacific Coast Highway in Ventura County and ended up partially submerged in the ocean Tuesday evening, killing at least one person and prompting the temporary closure of all southbound lanes, authorities said.
Witnesses reported that the car “flew off” the cliff at Mugu Rock about 5 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol’s incident log. The vehicle landed about 50 feet down the side, crashing into some rocks and plunging into the surf below.
One deceased person was recovered from the water, the Ventura Fire County Department said. Authorities have not provided any information about the victim, including a name, age or gender.
The CHP log indicated that a person attempted to help pull a dog from the rocks or the vehicle, and fire officials have confirmed a canine, named Jake, survived the crash and was rescued.
One witness, Scott Welcher, said he and a park ranger made their way down the steep embankment after observing the dog outside the car on a nearby car and grabbed him, caring for the canine until animal services arrived at the scene.
They attempted to look for other survivors, too, Welcher said.
It was not immediately clear if there were any other victims, but search efforts continued through the evening.
All southbound lanes were temporarily shut down amid the search, causing a small backup on the highway around 6 p.m., Sky5 aerial video showed.
The vehicle was expected to remain on the rocks overnight, as the CHP log indicated the tide was too high to tow the car.