Hiker Missing After Being Swept Away in National Park
An intense search continues for a woman who was swept away in a cold river at Sequoia National Park.
According to multiple reports, the 26-year-old woman, Jomarie Grace Lao Calasanz, from Los Angeles went missing on May 25 over Memorial Day Weekend. She was there with family and friends when she vanished due to extremely hazardous river conditions. She disappeared near the river in the foothills area of the park.
Visitors are often warned to avoid going into the river this time of the year, though a heat advisory also makes it tempting for visitors to cool off in the river.
The family has set up a GoFundMe page for Calasanz's funeral expenses. They last posted an update on Friday. The fundraiser has already surpassed its $50,000 goal.
"Day six, National Park Service teams and local authorities are still actively searching for Jomarie. Thank you for your continued prayers as cooler than projected temperatures have brought some relief to search conditions, offering renewed hope and endurance for the teams on the ground," the update read. 'The Calasanz family has left Sequoia and is back home in LA. Please continue to pray for the healing of the Calasanz Family and friends."The family grieved the loss with a loving tribute to Calasanz, remembering as "an amazing person, beautiful inside and out, faithful, selfless, fierce and magnetic." She was also remembered for "her voice, service, kindness, smile, laughter, generosity, and more. She was 26 and her passing was sudden and tragic for the family."
Family and friends drove up from Los Angeles to the famed national park on Memorial Day Weekend. But "what was supposed to be a fun, bonding moment very quickly turned into a traumatic event that will stick with us forever."
The family shared that they were taking their "first dip of the day in deceivingly calm waters" when Calasanz's older sister, Joanne, started to get swept away.
"With a brave loving heart and amazing courage, Jomarie, being a swimmer, instantly swam to save her sister," the family shared. "Both quickly got swept away into the rapids. While the river released Joanne, it is our deepest regret to inform everyone that Jomarie has not yet been found."
Hiker Missing After Being Swept Away in National Park first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 2, 2025
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