Body Of Missing Man Found In Car Submerged In North County River

BONSALL, CA — The body of a man who went missing nearly a month ago was found Tuesday inside a car submerged in a river in northern San Diego County, authorities said.

The family of Isaiah Lowe, 21, reported him missing Jan. 24, two days after they had last seen him, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office. Home surveillance video captured him driving off Jan. 22 in his black Chevrolet Camaro with red stripes.

Deputies searched for Lowe and entered information about the case into a missing-persons database accessed by law enforcement agencies across Southern California, but he remained missing for weeks, sheriff's Lt. Darrell McNeal said.

On Monday, Lowe's mother contacted the Fallbrook Sheriff's Substation with new information that could help in the search for her son. She told deputies she got information from a GPS tracking device in his car, which led her to state Route 76, just north of Ramona Drive in Bonsall.

"A fence along the highway was damaged in the area where the GPS device stopped tracking Lowe's car," McNeal said. "Debris from what appeared to be Lowe's car was also located along the shoulder of state Route 76."

A sheriff's dive team, as well as search and rescue volunteers went to the location of the crash and found Lowe's car in the San Luis Rey River.

"Due to recent rain, the car was fully submerged in the river," McNeal said. "Due to nightfall, recovery efforts were called off until the following day."

On Tuesday, crews pulled the car out of the river and found Lowe's body inside the vehicle, McNeal said. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will determine his cause of death.

"The Fallbrook Sheriff's Substation sends its condolences to Lowe's family and loved ones," McNeal said.