Diver Recalls 'Heartbreaking' Experience of Finding Body of Oregon Boy, 2, Who Died by Drowning in River: 'There's No Words'
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.
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'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.
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