Latest news with #AngelsRecoveryDiveTeam
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Yahoo
‘Heartbreaking': Diver unable to find missing woman after 2-day search in Sequoia National Park
Volunteer diver Juan Heredia of Angels Recovery Dive Team posted a wrenching message on Facebook Monday morning after traveling to the treacherous waters of Sequoia National Park on Saturday, July 12, in a renewed search for Jomarie Calasanz. 'After two long, hot days searching for Jomarie, we covered 5-7 miles—diving in pools, under boulders, searching the shores—and we couldn't find her,' he posted. 'It's heartbreaking to come out of the water after 8 hours each day and tell the family I couldn't bring her home.' Calasanz, 26, of Los Angeles, was swept away while trying to save her sister May 25. She vanished after jumping into the swift currents of the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River near Paradise Creek Bridge. Her family says she was trying to rescue her older sister, Joanne, who had been caught in the waters during a Memorial Day weekend outing. 'It's been 49 days since she went missing. The river was about four feet higher back then… I knew the odds were against me, but I had to try,' Heredia said, vowing not to give up. 'While taking the first dip of the day, Joanne started to get swept away,' reads a tribute on the family's GoFundMe page. 'With a brave, loving heart and amazing courage, Jomarie, being a swimmer, instantly swam to save her sister.' Both women were pulled under, but only Joanne made it out. A nine-day, multi-agency search followed, but dangerous river conditions forced officials to scale back efforts. 'Jomarie could still be located within the park,' officials said at the time, 'but divers are unable to complete an underwater search of the river.' Heredia — a volunteer diver known for recovering drowning victims across the U.S. — took up the mission in an effort to find her. 'I must find Jomarie and bring her home,' Heredia posted on Facebook before beginning the search. 'Her parents have been living in agony for too many weeks.' Heredia, who began diving at 18 in his native Argentina, has recovered the remains of several missing people this year alone, according to reporting by the Stockton Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. In June, he located three men trapped beneath a waterfall in Placer County. In March, he helped find a missing Oregon toddler. And in January, he recovered the body of 17-year-old Wesley Cornett after a 21-day search that spanned Christmas and New Year's. His first recovery mission began in 2023, when he helped locate 15-year-old Xavier Martinez, who disappeared in Stockton's Calaveras River. Since then, Heredia has turned his recreational passion into a calling — one that's earned him recognition from the Stockton City Council and the gratitude of grieving families across the country. As a father, Heredia says he understands the pain of not knowing. In his living room, he keeps photos of every person he's recovered — smiling portraits that help him replace the haunting images from the water. 'My way of erasing that image when I found them in the state I found them is to have that photo in my living room,' the Stockton mortgage lender said. 'I always have them smiling in my living room, and I look at them every day.' Never swim alone: Always swim with a buddy, and be aware of your surroundings. Wear a life jacket: Even strong swimmers should wear a properly fitted and U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Know your limits: Be realistic about your swimming abilities and the conditions. Check the weather and water conditions: Be aware of currents, tides, and other hazards. Swim in designated areas: If possible, swim in areas with lifeguards or designated swimming zones. Avoid alcohol and drugs: Intoxication impairs judgment and can make it difficult to swim safely. Enter the water slowly: Avoid jumping or diving into unfamiliar water. This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: California diver vows to keep searching for missing woman Jomarie Calasanz
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Yahoo
Stockton diver finds bodies of 3 missing men in Placer County's perilous Rattlesnake Falls
Stockton diver Juan Heredia located the bodies of three men trapped beneath a perilous waterfall in Placer County. The bodies have been recovered, four days after they were last seen jumping into waters near Soda Springs, authorities said. The search began on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 18, when a group of hikers reported three men from their original group of six had jumped into the water at Rattlesnake Falls and not resurfaced, according to the Placer County Sheriff's Office. A massive search and rescue effort was launched, which included a California Highway Patrol helicopter, a sheriff's dive team, sheriff's search and rescue officials and a Cal Fire technical rescue team. "The terrain is extremely remote and difficult to access, making rescue efforts especially challenging," the sheriff's department said in a written statement. The three hikers who reported the incident were evacuated from the area by helicopter on Thursday evening as the search continued. Search efforts were suspended on Thursday afternoon due to poor underwater visibility, strong currents and high winds, officials said. The search resumed Friday and continued through the weekend "in a limited but ongoing capacity," according to the sheriff's department statement. Volunteer diver Heredia of Stockton, founder of Angels Recovery Dive Team, began searching for the bodies. Heredia posted on Facebook about his team's efforts to locate the three. "I found them!! The family no longer has to wait in agony!! That waterfall was brutal He was pushing me hard... but I wouldn't leave without those 3 souls," he wrote. "Josh Robinson and I hiked over 3 hours just to get to that pose 47 feet deep. I did four dives — almost 3 minutes each — with ice water, and very deep. But we couldn't wait. I knew it could take weeks to surface. Families needed to close this chapter already," he wrote. He also called out the sheriff's office in his post. "Families shouldn't wait for days. If they knew there are people willing to help — divers, volunteers, even officers walking in the dark — they might have answers much sooner." The agency announced on Sunday morning that the men had been found. "It is with heavy hearts that we share the bodies of the three men have been recovered," the statement said. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss." The identities of the victims were not released. In April 2024, the Stockton City Council recognized Heredia as the "city council hero" after the scuba diving instructor volunteered to search the Calaveras River for 15-year-old Xavier Martinez when he went missing in March. San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department officials spent days searching the waters but couldn't locate the teen. Heredia found Martinez's body within 30 minutes of his dive. Heredia received a standing ovation from the nearly 900 people in attendance. In January 2025, a billboard went up next to the yellow Mexican restaurant El Señor Frog's in Stockton that read, "Thank you, Juan Heredia ... Hometown Hero." At first, Heredia was in disbelief. When someone sent him a photo of the billboard, he thought it was a joke and assumed it was Photoshopped. But to his surprise, it was real when he and his wife Mercedes Heredia checked it out in person, he said. 'I am not a hero': Stockton diver celebrated with billboard after tireless search for lost "Wow, it was something incredible," Heredia told The Stockton Record of the billboard. Aside from being a volunteer diver and the founder of the nonprofit Angels Recovery Dive Team, Heredia is also a Realtor, mortgage loan originator and general contractor. He and his wife Mercedes have a blended family of five. "This country gave me so many good things that my way of giving back is by putting my skills in diving for the community," he told The Record earlier this year as he explained what drives him to help bring families closure. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Stockton diver Juan Heredia finds bodies of 3 men missing in California
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Yahoo
Missing Oregon toddler found dead in river died from drowning, authorities say
The Brief Missing 2-year-old Dane Paulsen was found dead in an Oregon river. Authorities confirmed he drowned, according to the state medical examiner. His body was discovered over a week later, three miles from his home. SILETZ, Ore. - Authorities said a missing toddler who was found dead in an Oregon River had drowned. According to FOX 12, 2-year-old Dane Paulsen the cause of death was made by the state medical examiner. The backstory Dane Paulsen was reported missing around 4:25 p.m. March 1, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said. More than a week later, his body was found in the Siletz River approximately 3 mile RELATED: Missing Oregon toddler found dead in Siletz River, authorities confirm Authorities said Juan Heredia, with Angels Recovery Dive Team, offered their services to the toddler's family and began searching the river along with a guide. What they're saying "Our thoughts are with the family, who are facing an unbearable sorrow," Sheriff Adam Shanks previously said in a Facebook post. "We are deeply grateful for the support and dedication shown by the search teams and our communities throughout this difficult time, though we wish it was under different circumstances." The Source The information in this story comes from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, which provided details about the discovery of Dane Paulsen's body and the investigation, including a statement from Sheriff Adam Shanks. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Yahoo
Diver Recalls 'Heartbreaking' Experience of Finding Body of Oregon Boy, 2, Who Died by Drowning in River: 'There's No Words'
The diver who recovered the body of 2-year-old Dane Paulsen is recalling the moments and hours after he discovered the toddler. Search and recovery diving instructor Juan Heredia, founder of the nonprofit Angels Recovery Dive Team, found Dane after a two-hour dive in the frigid waters of the Siletz River in Lincoln County, Ore., about three miles downstream from the boy's home, per CNN. Heredia told the outlet that he left a vacation early after learning about the case and drove 12 hours from his home in Stockton, Calif., to offer his services to the Paulsen family. While speaking to local news outlet Fox 12, Heredia said he used photos as well as information provided by Dane's mother about what her son was wearing at the time of his disappearance in order to identify him. 'When I found him, I [brought] him to the shore because he was around six feet deep. I just waited for the sheriff, then the medical examiner to come," he recalled. "It was miserable.' 'I think every single [body discovered on a dive] is heartbreaking, but it's a boy, 2 years [old]. It's just hard to believe,' he added. Related: 2-Year-Old Boy Who Vanished from Front Yard Found Dead 3 Miles Away in Oregon River Heredia further told Fox 12 that he refused to accept money from the family. 'I just wanted to help them find closure,' he said with tears in his eyes. In an interview with KATU News, Heredia shared that he ultimately found Dane's body at the bottom of the river near a tree. He also said he spoke to the child's mother after finding him. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'She was very thankful. There's no words. She didn't have words. I didn't have words. It was a hard moment,' he recalled. Dane was last seen playing outside his family's rural Oregon home on March 1 and was found dead in the Siletz River on Tuesday, March 11, at around 11:13 a.m. local time, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Dane's body was found about 3 miles downstream from his family's home. Related: Search Enters 3rd Day After Boy, 2, Disappears from Front Yard of Rural Oregon Home In a press briefing on Thursday, March 13, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Jess Palma said that the results from a March 12 autopsy confirmed that Dane's cause of death was drowning and that there were no other signs of trauma to his body. A GoFundMe has been set up on behalf of the Paulsen family. As of Friday, March 14, it has received $25,950 towards its goal of $30,000. Read the original article on People
CNN
12-03-2025
- CNN
Missing Oregon toddler found dead in river by volunteer diver
After a massive search, missing 2-year-old Dane Paulsen was found dead by a volunteer diver Tuesday in the Siletz River in Oregon, 10 days after the toddler first disappeared from his family's yard. Dane was found nearly three miles downstream from the Paulsen family's property, north of Siletz, Oregon, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday. Siletz is located along Oregon's coast, about 130 miles south of Portland. 'Our thoughts are with the family, who are facing an unbearable sorrow,' Lincoln County Sheriff Adam Shanks said in a statement. 'We are deeply grateful for the support and dedication shown by the search teams and our communities throughout this difficult time, though we wish it was under different circumstances.' Hundreds of volunteers and emergency responders from multiple state and federal law enforcement agencies gathered to search for the boy using specialized equipment, dogs, drones and watercraft after his disappearance in early March. Search and recovery diving instructor Juan Heredia, with Angels Recovery Dive Team, said he found the boy after a two-hour dive in the river. 'I was in Mexico on vacation and somebody tagged me on Facebook and I was following the news and I decided to come and help to bring closure to the family,' Heredia told CNN affiliate KATU. Heredia said he found Dane at the bottom of the river near a tree, in an area previously searched by law enforcement, according to KATU. 'There's no words for this. It's a baby and it's so hard,' he told KATU.
