Police Use Find My iPhone to Locate Missing Woman After Her Car Plunges Down a Ravine

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Posted October 15, 2014 at 9:23pm by iClarified

California Highway Patrol officers managed to locate a missing woman whose vehicle had plunged 500 feet down a ravine using Find My iPhone, reports ABC News. 28-year-old Melissa Vasquez had been ejected from her car and been missing for 17 hours when found by officers.

Sometime after 2 p.m. on Monday, OnStar informed police of crash that ripped two tires off a Chevy Cruze. The service said the car was at Highway 17 and Camden Avenue, near Vasquez' home. Officers responded but did not see an accident. OnStar then updated the location to downtown San Jose. Again, police found nothing. At 3 a.m. Vasquez's stepmother called police to report her daughter missing.

Campbell police Officer David Cameron went to Vasquez's house and found her iPad. He realized that he could use Find My iPhone to possibly track her location; however, there was a passcode on the device.

"I made an educated guess based on a series of common numbers people use for passwords and on the third attempt I was able to get in," Cameron said.

Within minutes the app had identified her location and just 20 minutes later rescuers were airlifting her out of the ravine.

A Coast Guard helicopter was called while officers walked down the embankment through heavy shrubbery. "The officers on the scene said she was face down. She was awake, coherent, and she was speaking to officers," said CHP Officer Ross Lee. Vasquez was put into an airlift basket and hoisted out of the ravine. She was rushed to the Regional Medical Center ICU suffering injuries to her legs and her abdomen.

"I think somebody was looking out for her. Things fell in place and had those things not fallen in place, it could have been a totally different story," Cameron said.

The CHP is still investigating the incident. It's unclear why the car ended up in the ravine. Drugs and alcohol, they say, do not appear to be a factor.

Take a look at the video below for more details...

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Police Use Find My iPhone to Locate Missing Woman After Her Car Plunges Down a Ravine

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qba - October 16, 2014 at 5:28pm

Until he guess the password, wow ,what a joke!!!!

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matrixmaniac - October 16, 2014 at 5:41am

Alcohol was not the issue, drugs were not the issue, but she was texting on her iPhone....

gamerscul9870 - October 16, 2014 at 5:47am

Or worrying about her appearance for being on news.

Nuck Chorris - October 16, 2014 at 4:12am

She thought she was following directions to Starbucks on her apple maps app.

gamerscul9870 - October 16, 2014 at 4:24am

must be natural blonde putting on makeup before using maps therby it's her.

helmeet - October 16, 2014 at 3:08am

i'm using it almost everyday and it helps me a lot to track someone.. thanks apple

SimonSays - October 16, 2014 at 12:37am

OnStar failed, Find My iPhone FTW!!!! Glad she made it out alive! Looks like she took one gnarly fall in that cracker jack toy she calls a car.

gamerscul9870 - October 15, 2014 at 11:02pm

The magic of the true Apple maps. No need to thank them after the gullible claims of the poorly 3d renders photoshopped and the cartoon jokes that's on the creators themselves.

Me - October 15, 2014 at 10:58pm

A Chevy Cruze is a piece of.. They use a cheap tirse probably 14" wheels.. Get a honda or an Acura

gamerscul9870 - October 15, 2014 at 11:37pm

Not to mention the copying the have done. I already planned to get Honda van anyway. Neat and has ios in the car and one of the most long lasting cars anyway.

gamerscul9870 - October 15, 2014 at 11:53pm

Talking about cars here.

Jsjs - October 15, 2014 at 9:51pm

Something something this never would have worked if she had an android

Seanjuan - October 15, 2014 at 9:50pm

That's why apps like find my friends are great apps for familys you use

sillydrew - October 15, 2014 at 10:12pm

Agreed. People you don't need to use the app all the time but enable your friends and family to be able to track you so that if an event like this happens no one will need to try and figure out your password to locate you in a time of need.

justabrake - October 15, 2014 at 9:30pm

Smart cop !

Ken - October 15, 2014 at 11:27pm

Yea lucky guess too.

iAmMe - October 16, 2014 at 1:18am

Hmmm... Find My iPhone app on mine asks for the iCloud password not a passcode. Try it!

Bill - October 16, 2014 at 2:11am

1 - on smart cop. David was thinking straight

vanimox - October 16, 2014 at 7:30am

OMG DUDE, you are SO FUUCKING CORRECT. I've been using that find my iPhone app on my iPhone for about 1.5 years now. Its not a recent update or anything, the find my iPhone app has always required a passcode before you can access it. SOMETHING with how the COP accessed her Find My iphone is NOT adding up to the whole story. Okay sure, she may have had a passcode like 1234, that could easily make since, But you CANNOT make a passcode like that. Does anyone find the cops abailty to get this info a little.. off....

iAmMe - October 16, 2014 at 7:51am

If you'll watch the video, it says password though. The news may have a typo. This one also proves that some people just simply use easy to guess passwords and those celebrities (J. Lawrence) are one of these. This woman's weak password though saved her life while those celebs got their private photos exposed.