Coroner identifies body found in wilderness

SANTA BARBARA — The remains of a body recently discovered in the Santa Ynez River was identified Dec. 29 as those of 57-year-old Vedasto Redaniel of Mountain View.

According to Santa Barbara County sheriff’s spokesman Drew Sugars, Redaniel’s body was found on Dec. 23 by Buellton residents Jared Rossman, 26, and Jonathan Davis, 22, during a kayaking river excursion in the vicinity of the Refugio Bridge crossing.

“They did the right thing,” Sugars told the media, indicating that the men immediately contacted 911 via cell phone and remained at the site in proximity to the body until law enforcement arrived.

“They were in a remote area,” Sugars said, explaining that it took an eight-person team from the department’s search and rescue unit more than four hours to successfully retrieve the remains.

The body, which appeared to have been deceased for several weeks, was then transported to the Coroner’s Bureau.

“We have no evidence at this time of foul play,” Sugars said, indicating that the coroner’s investigation suggests Redaniel, who had been reported missing by family members in late November, may have died of natural causes.