PRESCOTT, AZ (AZFamily) — “The thought of burying my child first kills me,” said Jinger Cutting. “That shouldn’t be the case.”

Prescott Valley resident Jinger Cutting said no parent should outlive their child.

Earlier this month, Cutting went on a girls’ trip with her daughters Jessica and Kristin Little to celebrate Kris’ 39th birthday.

But now Cutting is planning a funeral for Kris, whose life came to an abrupt end last Friday.

“I wish God had taken me first. God needed Krissy. She is a true angel. She was an angel on this earth for 39 years and now she will be an angel in heaven,” Cutting said.

The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said officers responded to the Thumb Butte area of ​​Prescott, about two miles off Copper Basin Road, around 5 p.m. for a report of a vehicle that had fallen off a cliff.

YCSO told Arizona’s family that they received an alert about the incident from Kris’ Apple Watch. Officers later found Kris’ vehicle about 1,000 feet down the mountainside.

It is reported that Kris was thrown from the vehicle. Cutting said Kris’ dog, CJ, was found alive next to her daughter’s body. She believes CJ was thrown through an open window in front of her daughter. CJ was unharmed.

“Knowing that CJ will be with us for the rest of her life is a great comfort to me,” Cutting said.

Because of the darkness and rough terrain, officers had to wait until sunrise to recover Kris’ body. They did not leave her side.

“These rescuers stayed with my daughter all night and that meant the world to me,” Cutting said.

Cutting finds comfort in her memories of Kris, whom she describes as a free spirit who loved nature.

“She loved life to the fullest. She did everything with all her heart,” Cutting said. “She was a wonderful girl. She was everything. She was the light of my life. She was full of positive energy all the time.”

Kris was a real estate agent in Prescott, but loved spending time outdoors.

Cutting said her daughter loved camping and hiking with CJ. The two were inseparable, she said.

Cutting said Kris used to watch the sunset almost every day at a lookout point in Thumb Butte. Cutting said her daughter did so last Friday and happened to run into some high school friends.

After everyone left, Cutting said her daughter went back down the Thumb Butte side, which was very difficult, but Kris drove her truck that way the whole time.

“Please hug your children every day. Hug those babies because you don’t know when you’ll see them again,” Cutting said.

Cutting said the outpouring of support from the community following her daughter’s death was “overwhelmingly beautiful.”

A celebration of life is planned for September 15 near Watson Lake in Prescott. A date has not yet been set.

Cutting said she plans to start a foundation in Kris and CJ’s names to support Parks and Rec rescue efforts. Her top priority is to install a railing at the accident scene to ensure the safety of other families.

YCSO is currently investigating the incident.

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