Found Deceased CA - Sandeep 42, Soumya 38, Siddhant 12, Saachi Thottapilly, 9, Klamath, 5 Apr 2018

[savagewoman]

Phone data would be helpful right now.
Depending on how often they communicate with family, April 5th was the last day they heard from them. This happened the 6th.

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http://m.ilatimes.com/article.php?id=97161

This article stated they stay at the Holiday Inn in Kalmath. And GPS on car and accessing phones.

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[whitelilac]

So very sad.
Reminds me of the two young couples who went over the side into the river in Kings Canyon, within a week of each other.
Given the debris, I fear this is their car....

 

[Gussified]

http://m.ilatimes.com/article.php?id=97161

This article stated they stay at the Holiday Inn in Kalmath. And GPS on car and accessing phones.

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Also this from the article...
“On their return journey, they stayed at the Holiday Inn Xpress in Klamath, California and checked out on April 6. They were supposed to meet their cousin in San Jose for dinner that evening, but they never turned up.”

So, sure looks like they disappeared in the 6th, same day as the accident. Very sad, but I do think it’s them.

ETA: If I do directions from Klamath to San Jose in Google Maps, it takes me on the 101, right along the Eel River.

https://goo.gl/maps/euLr9TGUKBo

 

[savagewoman]

Having lived in the Klamath Valley for 6 years I’m familiar with the roads. They’re no joke and are often windy and narrow, especially through the redwoods. My ex and I would take frequent road trips and I would often wonder how many cars were stranded down some of the endless cliffs. They also had some weak little guardrails that served no purpose for preventing a vehicle from going over. They were more or less a visual aid so you knew the curve was ahead.
Very desolate and it’s not uncommon to be the only car on the road.
Hope they find them soon


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So how far is Dora Creek from Kalmath?

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[savagewoman]

So how far is Dora Creek from Kalmath?

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Found it.... sorry. 2 hr 38 min. Report came in at 1:10 pm
So sad that timing fits in with checking out hotel about 10am
[emoji27]

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[savagewoman]

https://signalscv.com/2018/04/searc...uv-matching-missing-valencia-familys-vehicle/

They state the SUV description matches


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[Elainera]

The accident is listed at happening in the afternoon. Some comments indicate there was obvious signs like cleared brush and tire tracks from the shoulder as well as seeing the car flipped upside down in the river. So the witness may not have seen the car in the turn out.

When I first found that article, I had done a quick search after Gardner posted they were thinking it could be a car accident. I almost didn't post as I really didn't think it was likely to be related. It wasn't clear to me from that article that the car had *still* not been retrieved and that as of Monday no one locally had mentioned who the possible victims could be. But it is certainly looking more and more possible as the details come out. I just really hope at this point the family in Valencia has met with LE and that the CHP has given them any information they can to help determine if this accident involved the missing family.

Thank you j_in_c for clarifying! I should have read the article before posting. :blushing:

 

[Elainera]

https://signalscv.com/2018/04/searc...uv-matching-missing-valencia-familys-vehicle/

They state the SUV description matches


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Wow how sad.

It's a terrible way to die I hope they were knocked out before hitting the water.

 

[Gardener1850]

https://signalscv.com/2018/04/searc...uv-matching-missing-valencia-familys-vehicle/

They state the SUV description matches


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Quote form the article:

The incident happened on US Highway 101 at the Eel River, near mile post marker 95, he said, a couple of miles north of Leggett.

“The vehicle was completely submerged in the river due to the heavy rain,” he said. “We are working on finding the vehicle but we are not able to locate it.

“Based on our preliminary investigation and witness statements, we believe the vehicle was a 2016 or 2017 Honda Pilot maroon in color.
“This vehicle and the missing person’s vehicle are similar but, at this time, we are unable to confirm its the same vehicle,” Wunderlich said.

“We have personnel at the scene searching, as well as CalFire Rescue crews searching so we are constantly evaluating the situation,” he said.

“We’re searching a broad area but because of the moving river it’s a difficult search.”

This is so sad. They haven't even located the car yet and it has been 4 days. Can't they send drones over the river to look for the car? Someone needs to invent an underwater drone camera that can withstand strong currents to search rivers like this without putting rescuers in danger. JMO.

 

[Presley78]

So how far is Dora Creek from Kalmath?

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Pretty far!!
See the map I attached. I don’t have miles/kilometers but it’s FAR!

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[JerseyGirl]

Sandeep Thottapilly, 42, took his family up the West Coast on a trip to Portland, Oregon, on March 30. They were planning to stop in San Jose on their way back, but contact was lost with them on Thursday.

The Thottapillys were expected to arrive at a family member's home in San Jose on April 6 but never showed up. On April 8, the family member called police to report them missing.

The family was traveling in a 2016 Maroon Honda Pilot with a California plate of 7MMX138.


http://ktla.com/2018/04/10/valencia-family-disappears-after-leaving-on-spring-break-road-trip/

 

[Elainera]

I just noticed Sandeep's brother is talking about him in the past tense - are they already fairly sure that the car in the river is theirs?

“He was the backbone of our family,” said Sachin Thottapilly, Sandeep’s brother. “He did everything he can to make sure all of their needs were provided.”

http://www.hometownstation.com/sant...four-disappears-in-northern-california-228823

 

[lcarlson90]

I just noticed Sandeep's brother is talking about him in the past tense - are they already fairly sure that the car in the river is theirs?

“He was the backbone of our family,” said Sachin Thottapilly, Sandeep’s brother. “He did everything he can to make sure all of their needs were provided.”

http://www.hometownstation.com/sant...four-disappears-in-northern-california-228823

Our local newspaper (I live in the same city as this family) is reporting that the description of the SUV that went into the river matches the families Honda Pilot so maybe that's why he is referring to him in past-tense.

 

[Taltos]

http://www.kgw.com/mobile/article/n...in-region-where-family-vanished/283-537150554

This article states that witnesses saw the maroon vehicle pull into the turnout then go over into the Eel river.

This is also ironically in Mendocindo county where the Harts pulled into a turnout and drove over the cliff.

Both stories are covered in this article.

 

[Lilibet]

Excellent article with pictures of the recovery effort, and details about the witnesses. As the CHP officer told them, if they hadn’t seen and reported the accident, no one would have known.

[FONT=&amp]“Pat Berkowitz caught just a glimpse before the vehicle that had been pulling over in front of the car he was riding in tipped sideways, thrust two wheels into the air, and tumbled over the bank and out of sight on Friday, April 5 north of Leggett. Frantically, he called 911 as his wife pulled their car into the next pullout.[/FONT][FONT=&amp]In terror, he said, he ran back up the road and followed the vehicle over the bank to where he could see the Eel River. There was nothing, the 67-year-old said, but oil spreading over the surface of the water.”

Section of Eel River where vehicle is believed to have gone in. Photo by Mark McKenna.[/FONT]

http://kymkemp.com/2018/04/11/witne...of-leggett-searchers-scour-the-river-tuesday/

 

[moonriverfarm]

So did the driver of the family vehicle lose control? Is this a narrow road, easy to run off of? I am not following how the accident occurred.

 

[j_in_c]

Hwy 101 is a narrow windy road in general - I am not personally familiar with this section but from the accident reports, it was raining heavily at the time and this occurred at a pullout. The locals describe these pullouts as having a soft shoulder and no guardrail. So poor visibility, no protection and a possibly eroded soft shoulder - it sounds like the driver misjudged the edge when pulling off the road and then the vehicle tipped over and down the embankment.

 

[Elainera]

So did the driver of the family vehicle lose control? Is this a narrow road, easy to run off of? I am not following how the accident occurred.

It sounds to me like they stopped in a pullout but the driver (probably Sandeep) misjudged the distance to the edge of the cliff and so the car tumbled down. So terrible! What a panic they must have felt. Tragic.

ETA: j_in_c and I posted at the same time. He/she said it so much better than I. Yes that's how I also think it happened.

 

[Aescwynn]

Another entire family gone. Such a terrible tragedy. I hope the SUV is found soon so that their relative may have swift closure.

 

[DatelineFan]

Oh my goodness, what a harrowing story. It sounds like it's likely them in the water. That poor, beautiful family. That is so freaking sad!

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