Video of search for woman who drove off Big Sur cliff released

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has released new drone footage showing its search for a woman who drove off a cliff in Big Sur.

The video shows the thick fog search and rescue crews were dealing with in addition to the rough terrain off Highway 1.

Crews searched for Kristen Kendall for three days before they found something odd in the water. That is when they launched the drone to get a closer look. They discovered that it was a body.

Sheriff Steve Bernal said this technology has cut the time and manpower needed to solve cases like these down.

“The drone gave us a closer view of what was actually… without having to sent somebody down there to find out exactly what it was. We could send this drone down there, and it could give us a bird’s eye view, a close-up view, of what it actually is,” Bernal said.

The drones are funded by private citizens and the Sheriff’s advisory council. Because of how successful they have been, deputies hope they can buy more in the near future, including ones with infrared capability.