On Monday, May 5th, 2025, at approximately 1:31 p.m., the Bishop Area CHP office received a call reporting that an overturned vehicle had been spotted while submerged in Rawson Canal, directly adjacent to Buckley Pond. The California
Highway Patrol, as well as members of the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office, Bishop Fire Department, and Sierra Lifeflight responded to the scene. Efforts were made to identify if anyone was still inside the vehicle, and immediate extrication and life-saving measures were jointly undertaken by the responding agencies.

Initial investigation reveals that this collision occurred when the driver of the vehicle was traveling in a southerly direction along the canal road, at unsafe speeds, while intentionally drifting around various curves in the road. This unsafe driving ultimately resulted in the driver losing control of the vehicle as it overturned into the canal. Both occupants of the vehicle perished as a result of this collision. As of this time, there were no witnesses to this collision, and the time of its occurrence is still unknown. This traffic collision is still under investigation by the California Highway Patrol. Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact Officer Torey Michener at (760)872-5I50.