A search-and-recovery effort on the Stanislaus River ended in heartbreak Sunday afternoon when authorities found the body of a 17-year-old boy who had gone missing in the water.
Emergency crews were called Saturday afternoon to Caswell Memorial State Park in San Joaquin County after reports came in that a swimmer was in distress.
With Ripon Consolidated Fire Department crews already assigned to a vegetation fire, the Manteca Fire Department initially responded to the emergency call.
Family members identified the teen as Gabriel Santiago.
Gabriel’s mother told KCRA he had been spending time with friends when the incident happened, remembering her son as a loving child.
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According to the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, Santiago was rafting when he went under the water and did not come back up.
A multi-agency search began around 4 p.m. Saturday, with first responders combing the river and nearby shoreline until nightfall forced crews to pause their efforts.
Search teams returned Sunday morning and continued working into the afternoon, when Santiago’s body was recovered.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office is leading the ongoing investigation into the drowning, supported by its Boating Safety Unit, Unmanned Aircraft System drone team, and Ripon Fire personnel.
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