Latest news with #JuanHeredia
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
"The waterfall was brutal": bodies of 3 hikers who vanished after jumping into California falls recovered after days of searching
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The bodies of three hikers who vanished after jumping into a remote California waterfall have been recovered after days of searching. Placer County Sheriff's Office reports that a group of six men were hiking in the Soda Springs area on Wednesday, June 18 when three jumped into the water at Rattlesnake Falls and never resurfaced. The surrounding terrain is described as challenging and difficult to access, and search efforts were temporarily suspended on Thursday due to poor visibility caused by debris and strong currents. High winds also made flying conditions difficult. The sheriff's office announced that the bodies had been found on Sunday. Diver Juan Heredia posted on Facebook after helping to recover the bodies, describing how difficult the scene made the operation. "The waterfall was brutal. It kept pushing me down but I wasn't leaving without bringing those 3 souls home to their families." "Josh Robinson our team backup diver, and I hiked over 3 hours just to reach that 47-foot deep pool. I dove four times — close to 3 minutes each — freezing cold water and deep." The remaining hikers were airlifted from the scene on Wednesday evening. In Washington's Olympic National Park, search and rescue crews have been unable to recover the body of an 18-year-old hiker who was attempting to cross the river above popular Sol Duc Falls when he fell and was swept away on June 8. Before entering the water on a hike, it's important to scope out a safe entry spot and enter the water slowly to avoid being injured by hidden obstacles or swept away by strong currents. It's generally advised to stay out of waterfall areas and on the trail. You can learn more in our articles on open water safety and waterfall hiking safety. The best hiking boots: hit the trail The best trekking poles: take the pressure off when you're out on the trails
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- 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
USA Today
15 hours ago
- USA Today
3 men found dead after jumping into water near California waterfall
Three people were found dead over the weekend following a multi-day search and rescue mission at Rattlesnake Falls in California. On Wednesday, June 18, the Placer County Sheriff's Office received a report about the individuals entering the water in the Soda Springs area, according to a news release. Officials learned that the missing men were part of a hiking group when they decided to jump into Rattlesnake Falls and failed to resurface, prompting ground and aerial search efforts. The other men who were with them were evacuated via helicopter on June 19 because the area is "remote" and a "difficult trail." California Highway Patrol assisted with this rescue. Lake Tahoe: 6 people dead, 2 missing after boat capsizes 'Heartfelt condolences' Deputies said search operations continued throughout the week, but were disrupted due to weather conditions and strong currents. The Placer County Sheriff's Office announced on June 22 that "the bodies of the three men have been recovered." Their identities have not been released. USA TODAY reached out to the agency for more information. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss," the statement continued. A volunteer diver involved in the mission said in a Facebook post that he and another person had to hike for more than three hours to get to the area before diving into the "ice water" several times. "We couldn't wait. I knew it could take weeks to surface. Families needed to close this chapter already," Juan Heredia wrote, adding that they called the sheriff's office around 9 p.m. "What surprised me was the sergeant's response: 'We're going to send a team to walk right now to take care of the bodies,'" the post continued. Soda Springs is approximately 26 miles from Lake Tahoe. Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Yahoo
Body, vehicle recovered from the Sacramento River after four days
Editor's Note: This article originally misstated the area where the vehicle crashed into the Sacramento River. The article has been updated to accurately reflect the that location. ( — On Thursday, the California Highway Patrol located a vehicle with a male body inside that had reportedly crashed into the Sacramento River near Walnut Grove on Monday, according to CHP South Sacramento. Juan Heredia, an independent diver, shared a video on his Facebook on Wednesday of him recovering a license plate following a dive in the Sacramento River. Malt burning big rig slows traffic near Donner Summit CHP did confirm that an independent diver assisted the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office and that the diver took the license plate from the vehicle for confirmation. In a Facebook post on Thursday, Heredia said dive conditions were difficult with strong currents caused by the recent storms and zero visibility. Heredia also found a man in the driver seat of the car, which has since been recovered and is undergoing identification by the Sacramento County Coroner's Office. The vehicle was initially reported to have crashed into the Sacramento River near River Road and Twin Cities Road at 6 p.m. on Monday. Personnel from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, Walnut Grove Fire Department and the CHP used various surface-level, underwater and aerial technologies to try and locate the vehicle. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
