Rescuers recovered the body of a man from a partially submerged vehicle in Lancaster on Friday amid flooding tied to an ongoing atmospheric river, according to an emailed statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) shared with Newsweek.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department located the victim inside a blue sedan near 58th Street East and Avenue H-10 after a helicopter spotted the vehicle, the LASD said. Authorities have not yet released the man’s identity; the county coroner’s office is expected to confirm it.
Officials said the discovery came as severe flooding associated with a major atmospheric river swept across California over the Christmas holiday, triggering road closures, evacuations, and emergency rescues. NBC News reported that at least four deaths have been linked to the storm system.
What happened in Lancaster
The Los Angeles County Fire Department found the partially submerged sedan at about 9:45 a.m. local time on Friday, officials said. The vehicle was not visible from the roadway due to deep water and mud in the area. Deputies and fire personnel responded and found the man deceased inside the car…