BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The submerged SUV belonging to Christina Murphy was recovered from the Kern River Saturday morning, but Murphy remains missing.
This comes just 4 days after a diver found the vehicle and posted the video on Youtube. A KCSO spokesperson says the recovery operation was possible because of the reduced flow of the river.
The submerged vehicle belonging to Christina Murphy who was reported missing July 22 has been pulled from the Kern River, but she remains missing. Deputies confirmed there were no occupants in the SUV during Saturday morning’s recovery operation. It took 53 days to get to this point, but it only took 15 minutes to remove the 4-Runner.
“On July 23, when we initially located the submerged vehicle to today there’s a difference of about 20 feet of water,” said Lori Meza, Public Information Officer with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.
Meza says the river was too deadly for rescue crews to act until now.
“There’s no amount of training that is going to replace the fact that they are human beings that are also at risk,” said Meza.