15-07-2025
‘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
