Throughout most of Bryce’s subsequent drive, Karen and Mike decided to stay on the phone with their son. When the parents asked for updates on their son’s location, though, Bryce was unable to provide a clear answer.
The 19-year-old reportedly told his parents that he was not sure where he was and that there were no clear signs. All Bryce said was that his estimated time of arrival, according to his GPS, was 3:25 a.m. on August 30, 2013.
Karen and Mike last spoke with Bryce one final time at 2:09 a.m. that early morning. During the call, their son’s location was still unknown, but the teen claimed that he could not keep driving because he was too tired.
So, Bryce decided to pull off on the side of the road and go back to sleep for a few more hours.
By that point, Bryce had been on the road for between 24 and 27 hours. This pushed Karen and Mike to agree that their son needed to sleep for a while.
Tragically, though, six hours later, at 8:00 a.m., a California Highway Patrol officer went to the Lapisa’s home to deliver some unsettling news. Authorities had located Bryce’s car, but the teen was missing.
Bryce’s vehicle, a 2003 Toyota highlander, was discovered lying on its side in a ravine near Castaic Lake at about 5:30 a.m. on August 30. Castaic Lake is approximately two hours from Laguna Niguel.
Investigators later determined that the SUV had driven off of a 25-foot embankment– landing in the ravine. Some reports also suggested that the car had accelerated while driving down the embankment, which would indicate that Bryce had been in control of the car.
Nonetheless, the SUV ultimately crashed into the ravine bumper-first before turning over on its side.
In spite of the crash’s severity, authorities only found two drops of blood inside Bryce’s Toyota. They also discovered that the back window had been broken, pushing investigators to conclude that Bryce had exited through the window. In the crash’s wake, the teen left behind his wallet, phone, laptop, and other personal belongings.
Hundreds of sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the area– searching Castaic Lake, which is 2,200 acres, and the surrounding 11,000-acre area. No signs of Bryce were ever found, though.