Cathy Perfect
Kern Valley Sun

When Roy Defenbaugh, 80, of Lake Isabella, failed to return from an early morning medical appointment in Bakersfield on  Jan. 21, a call went out to Sheriff’s Deputies at the Kern Valley Substation. 

Defenbaugh’s wife, Helen, reported him missing and deputies began the search for Defenbaugh at about 12:00 p.m. After two hours of unsuccessful searching, Sheriff’s Rescue Helicopter Air-5 was requested to search the Kern River Canyon. Within minutes of searching from the air, Sheriff’s personnel located his 2007 Subaru about 200 feet off Hwy. 178 in a ravine near Black Gulch South. Air-5 landed close to Defenbaugh’s vehicle and located him, laying in the brush, halfway up the mountain embankment from where his car was located.

Roy Defenbaugh, 80, of Lake Isabella, is brought up from a steep ravine in the Kern canyon just east of Borel Road on Jan. 21. His car plunged off the road and came to rest about 200 feet from the roadway.

Defenbaugh had attempted to climb up the steep ravine but was unable to reach the highway.

He was wearing his seatbelt, and related that he swerved to miss a deer and his car ran off the roadway. Defenbaugh sustained minor injuries and was transported to Kern Medical Center via Care Ambulance.

In an unusual turn of events, Helen Defenbaugh reported that she suffered a heart attack the same day. “The ambulance was taking me to the hospital in Bakersfield when they found Roy,” she said. “It’s been pretty rough.”