BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — A 68-year-old Navy veteran, Robert “Jerry” Hiller, died on Christmas Eve after his vehicle was swept away in a flood in Lancaster, according to a GoFundMe page and CBS News. Hiller was identified through the website, which described his passing as “a heartbreaking shock to all who loved him.”
CBS News reported that at around 9:45 a.m. on Dec. 24, 2025, Hiller’s body was found inside a partially submerged vehicle near 58th Street East and Avenue H-10 amid the recent storm, per the LA County Sheriff’s Department.
A department helicopter that was flying over the area spotted a “blue sedan that was partially submerged following yesterday’s flooding.” The vehicle could not be seen from the road due to the terrain and “significant” flooding, reported CBS News.
He is survived by his mother Margaret, sister Allie, brother Bill, and nieces Tracy and Mindy, who are working to honor his final wishes.
Robert “Jerry” Hiller. Photo GoFundMe
Hiller will be laid to rest at the Bakersfield National Cemetery in Arvin. Donations can be made at his GoFundMe.
Eyewitness News has not received a Kern County coroner report on Hiller at the time of this publication.