An 18-year-old was being mourned by family and friends after falling to her death from a bridge support structure in Big Bear, reportedly a favorite hangout for local teens.
The victim was identified in a GoFundMe as recent high school graduate and aspiring baker Bella Fanuele, a resident of Big Bear.
Deputies with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call Tuesday at around 11 p.m. for a search and rescue after an 18-year-old female fell at the Big Bear Dam, at 37800 Big Bear Blvd., the department said in a news release.
When authorities arrived at the scene, they determined that Fanuele had been on the top of a support structure below Highway 18 when she fell. Rescue workers, including members of the Big Bear Fire Department, descended a hill below the support structure and found the victim. When authorities reached her, they performed “lifesaving measures,” but despite their efforts, Fanuele was declared deceased at the scene, the Sheriff’s Department said.
Based on early results of the investigation, the department said there were no indications of suspicious circumstances surrounding Fanuele’s death.
On Wednesday, Fanuele’s friends gathered at the bridge and left flowers at a makeshift memorial, KTLA reported. Residents told the news outlet that the spot beneath the highway was a popular gathering site for local youth.
According to the fundraiser, Fanuele “was looking forward to starting college and pursuing her dream of opening a bakery.”
The family has a dream of its own: “creating a bakery in her name to honor her memory and her dreams,” the fundraiser said.
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