Kia Sorento that has rolled over the cliffside

Wednesday, February 5th, 2025, at 10:54 p.m. (PT), we received a request for help with an offroad recovery in California. The requester, Garrett Silva, submitted the following information: “I currently have a 2006 Kia Sorento that has rolled over the cliffside. I need help getting it back up to the road; it’s about 30 feet or less over the edge. It’s a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, and any assistance would be greatly appreciated. I can offer payment to anyone who is willing to help. I’m not with the vehicle at the moment, but I can also help cover the cost of fuel.”

Our administrator, Al Fontan, contacted the requester and verified the contact information provided, GPS location, and current situation before sending the request to local volunteers. In this particular recovery, we contacted volunteers within a 20-mile radius of this offroad recovery in California.

The recovery was initially sent out to local volunteers, and the response was immediate and overwhelming. Many offered their help. Garret, who was also invited to our lobby to assist with coordination, explained that the gates had been closed by the fire department due to extreme fire danger.

The recovery effort spanned several days. Our incredible friends at Desert Recovery got involved and worked closely with Garret to coordinate the operation. The first attempt took place over the weekend, during which two volunteers managed to flip the vehicle back onto its wheels. However, due to the severe fire risk, they were forced to leave the vehicle at the bottom of the cliff.

Several weeks later, after the fire department gave the all-clear, a second attempt was made. This time, the team was able to successfully extract the Kia. The crew leading this phase of the recovery was from Inland Empire 4×4 Recovery. Because the area remained under strict fire restrictions, a firetruck was required on-site at all times, which made it especially difficult to coordinate and gather available volunteers.

We want to thank Cameron Dehart, and other members of Inland Empire 4×4 Recovery, who also signed up to become a volunteer for the Portal. I also want to express my gratitude with Debi, a very active local volunteer member of Desert Recovery who took upon herself to update us trhroughout the entire recovery. Also she invited Cameron to become a member and facilitated the photos we share here.

On the last attempt, Debi and the team from Desert Recovery successfully recovered the vehicle.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to this effort — your dedication and willingness to go the extra mile never go unnoticed. We truly appreciate you all for helping with this offroad recovery in California.

If you would like to receive a text message when we get a request near you, create your account here: offroadportal.org/signup