The two men found dead Sunday near the wreckage of a car that went over the side of Gibraltar Road were reported missing last week to the Lompoc Police Department, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Monday. 

The men have been identified as David Esquivel, 24, of Santa Maria and Oscar Hernandez, 23, of Lompoc, sheriff’s spokesperson Kelly Hoover said.

A paraglider in the area spotted the vehicle at the bottom of the cliff in the 3400 block of Gibraltar Road on Sunday at about 3:40 p.m., which led to a search and rescue effort, according to authorities.  

Both men were found ejected from the vehicle in the rough terrain and heavy brush, Hoover said. 

Esquivel was reported missing by his family around 10 p.m. Saturday and Hernandez was reported missing on around 7 a.m. on Sunday, Hoover said. 

They were acquaintances and both were last seen on Wednesday, she said. 

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Santa Barbara City Fire Department, Montecito Fire Protection District, United States Forest Service and California Highway Patrol responded to the scene Sunday afternoon. 

A CalStar helicopter, a Santa Barbara County Air Support helicopter and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team also responded.

Emergency personnel utilized a rope system down more than 600 feet to recover the bodies, Hoover said. 

The Coroner’s Bureau is investigating the case and will determine an official cause of death, she said. 

— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.