[Update: Tue., May 20, 2025, 1:15pm] A GoFundMe set up on behalf of the family of Tanner Prentiss, the UCSB student whose body was recovered from Big Bear Lake on Monday after he was reported missing over the weekend, surpassed its $20,000 goal in less than 24 hours. The fundraiser, which had raised $21,885 as of Tuesday afternoon, was set up by Prentiss’s roommate Arjun Malaviya in coordination with the Santa Barbara Snow Club, which Prentiss was a member of, “to help ease some of the financial burden tied to memorial services and other unexpected expenses,” Malaviya wrote.
“He truly was an angel on earth — kind, compassionate, and deeply selfless,” Malaviya said. “He had this rare ability to bring light into any room, and he never hesitated to lift others up. Tanner believed in the good in people, even when they didn’t see it in themselves. That’s something I’ll always carry with me, and I know many others will too.”
[Update: Mon., May 19, 2025, 4:05pm] Following an extensive search by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies and the Sheriff’s Dive Team, the body of missing UCSB student Tanner Prentiss, 22, was located in the water near the Pine Knot Marina of Big Bear Lake at around 10:23 a.m., the sheriff’s department said in an update on Monday afternoon. No foul play was indicated, and the Coroner’s Office has assumed the investigation.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tanner’s family, friends and all those who are affected by his loss,” the sheriff’s department said. “The family is requesting privacy as they navigate through this tragic incident.”
[Original Story] Authorities are searching for a UC Santa Barbara student who disappeared in the Big Bear Lake area over the weekend.
Tanner Prentiss, 22, was staying at a rental cabin with several friends when he went out for a walk shortly after midnight on Saturday, May 17, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie and jeans walking on the 40000 block of Village Drive, possibly toward Big Bear Boulevard.
Prentiss is a member of the Santa Barbara Snow Club, which posted a missing person alert for him on its Instagram account on Sunday. According to a May 1 post naming Prentiss the club’s “staffer of the week,” he is from Santa Clarita and a junior at UCSB majoring in sociology.
If you have seen Prentiss or have any information regarding his whereabouts, please contact the Big Bear Station at (909) 866-0100.
