California authorities are leading a recovery mission for three men who jumped in the water to save a child and never resurfaced.
The three men — Edwin Rivas, Edwin Perez and Danilo Solorzano — were among a group of five men who jumped into the water near the Three Mile Slough Bridge to assist an 8-year-old child, who began struggling in the water while the group was fishing, according to NBC affiliate KCRA of Sacramento.
The other two men who jumped into the water made it back to shore and pulled the child to safety, the news station reported, adding that the child did not require medical attention.
“This happened so fast, three people, my friends … and we used to come here all the time,” Juan Cabrera, one of the two men, told KCRA.
The men and child were part of a group camping overnight in Brannan Island State Recreation Area, family members at the scene said.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Coast Guard, Rio Vista Fire and California State Parks responded to the scene.
As of Sunday night, the search had shifted into a recovery mission, KCRA reported.
“Deputies searched the waterways with negative results,” Sgt. Rod Grassman, a spokesperson for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, said. “After exhausting all search efforts, deputies shifted their focus to a recovery.”
A California State Parks official told KCRA that strong water currents throughout the Sacramento San Joaquin River Delta and weather conditions were to blame.
“This is an unguarded swim beach, so we do not have lifeguards on duty it’s mainly a fishing access off of an unregulated trail in the state park… this is title unguarded water so the water was moving at the time,” Paul Wissler, Captain with California State Parks, told KCRA.
The website for Brannan Island notes that it offers “many opportunities for recreation, including boating and swimming.”
Jorge Moreno, an information officer for California State Parks, told NBC News that the department recommends people wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets, supervise children and avoid entering the water if it’s too cold when recreating in its parks.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
