An Arizona family is in mourning after a woman's car plunged off a 300-foot cliff and fell hundreds of feet, leaving twisted pieces of metal flying.
The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office shared on social media what happened to Kristin Little, 39. On August 16 at approximately 5 p.m. local time, officers responded to a call that a car had fallen off a cliff in the Thumb Butte area outside of Prescott.
Based on what authorities found, Little was “ejected from the car approximately halfway down the mountainside,” while his dog, CJ, was found unharmed.
“The area was steep and difficult to navigate with thick undergrowth, so YCSO used drones and a [Department of Public Safety] “The patrol helicopter assisted in searching for possible other passengers but was unable to find anyone,” it said. After finding him, officers spent the night with his body rather than leaving him there.
“Due to the difficult terrain and approaching darkness, it was decided to wait until this morning to extricate the victim, and YCSO personnel remained with Ms. Little throughout the night,” the office said. “Just before noon [Aug. 17]The victim was taken to the forensic medicine institution.” It is thought that he went off the road and fell down the mountain, but the investigation into the incident continues.
Little's family remembered him fondly as they spoke to him GOOSE.
“I can’t thank the Yavapai search and rescue team enough for staying by my daughter’s side, my sweet girl, all night making sure she was safe,” said her mother, Jinger Cutting. She was no stranger to the outdoors throughout her life, and even to the area where she eventually died.
“He and I would always, always go for walks,” Cutting recalls. “We'd fly in and meet at my office or somewhere downtown and just go for a walk in Thumb Butte or go for a walk somewhere around the lakes.”