Search for Marina teen who fell off cliff resumes

Wednesday marked a week since a teenager from Marina fell from a cliff in Big Sur. 17 year-old Jaime Fernandez’s body still hasn’t been found but search and rescue crews haven’t given up. Search and rescue crews were out in Big Sur again looking for Fernandez, but authorities said the search is more of a recovery mission and they want to bring closure to the family. Monterey County Sheriffs dive team high-lined across the cliffs and slowly repelled 150 feet down to where they believe Fernandez’s body could be.

“The rest of this search is pretty much going to be in the water, so we need to make sure that the divers are safe today was our first window of decent surf conditions to get divers into the cove down there,” Monterey County Sheriffs, Ken Owen.

Three members of the dive team searched the cove for the missing teen. One of the divers said it’s really hard to see anything down in the water especially when waves are constantly hitting. Search and rescue volunteers said that they found Fernandez’s beanie on some nearby rocks, which is why they chose to focus on the area. But a week after his fall, crew members no longer expect to find him alive.

“I don’t think that the chances are very good at this point. This is a recovery operation in my mind,” said Deputy Owen.

A CHP helicopter was going to assist a fire boat in the search but those efforts were canceled due to rough surf.

Fernandez was a senior at Monte Vista Christian School in Watsonville. Fernandez’s classmates made a memorial around his parking space, coping with the fact that they will never see him pull up again.

“He was a well-liked student, very versatile in all that he did, talented, took AP courses. He was involved in the track team, had a really close knit group of friends. Jaime had been here since sixth grade and you know well liked, just a hard loss for our student body,” said Dean of Monte Vista, Steve Woods.

Aside from all the flowers left on his parking space, students wrote one last message to Fernandez that said, “You are loved.”

Authorities said the rescue dive mission was called off after no sign of the teen, but they plan to have volunteer pilots fly over the coast later this week.

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The Monterey County Search and Rescue Team resumed their search Wednesday for the Marina teen who fell off a cliff in Big Sur on March 9.

Crews are searching via the air and land around the same spot he went missing, just south of Rocky Point Restaurant. They’re utilizing a helicopter, drones and a boat.

The Marina teen, Jaime Fernandez, was hiking with his cousin when he slipped and fell 150 feet down the cliff.

When help arrived, they say Fernandez was gone, likely swept out to sea.

Crews suspended the search for a few days due to stormy weather. KION’s Brandon Castillo will have more on their search efforts Wednesday evening.