The family of Isabella Fanuele, 18, who died after falling near a dam in Big Bear, California, is seeking to honor her memory by opening a bakery, a long-held dream of the recent high school graduate.
Fanuele was with friends beneath the Highway 18 bridge adjacent to the Big Bear Dam shortly before 11 p.m. on a Tuesday when the accident occurred. Her father, Danny Fanuele, stated that she and her friends were in an area where young people had gathered for years.
Isabella Fanuele, known to loved ones as Bella, had just graduated from Big Bear High School two weeks prior to her death. She had been looking forward to attending college and pursuing her ambition of owning a bakery. According to her father, she had previously operated a small culinary business while in school.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched by her family to help make her bakery dream a reality. The campaign aims to cover funeral expenses, provide counseling for those close to Isabella, and potentially establish a bakery in her name. The page describes Fanuele as someone "full of hope and excitement for the future," whose "energy and kindness touched everyone around her."
As of Friday morning, the online fundraiser had garnered over $11,000 towards its $14,000 goal. Fanuele was also recognized as a dedicated student, consistently making the honor roll, and participated in varsity softball and golf.
Deputies and firefighters responded to the scene, locating Fanuele at the bottom of a gully. Rescue efforts involved firefighters using a crane to lift a stretcher from the embankment. A preliminary investigation by Big Bear authorities has indicated no suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident, though an investigation is ongoing.
The Highway 18 bridge where the tragedy took place is a notable local landmark that spans a rocky area next to the Big Bear Dam, a concrete structure situated on Big Bear Lake.