Woman who saved sister from drowning is found dead in California wilds two months later

A body found in a Sequoia National Park river was confirmed to be that of a woman who went missing in the park while swimming with her sister two months earlier, park officials announced.

La Puente resident Jomarie Calasanz was swept away in the fast-moving waters of the Kaweah River on May 25, according to authorities. Her body was recovered July 24, and the Tulare County coroner’s office confirmed her identity on Monday.

Recovery teams had to wait for the river to slow before they could recover her body, authorities said.

Calasanz’s body was found less than a mile from where she went missing, the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks announced in a news release on Tuesday. The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office swift-water dive rescue team and the National Park Service transitioned on June 5 from an active search to a “limited continuous” search due to the fast-moving flow of water on the river and the difficult terrain around the area. This means that the operation was pared down but continued until Calasanz’s body was recovered. Officials said they continued to search the area using drones, dive teams, swift-water teams and crews on the ground with search dogs.

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The river took her sister. A stranger dove in to bring her home

In little more than a year, Juan Heredia, a scuba instructor from Stockton, has developed a strange specialty: He has found the bodies of a dozen drowning victims in California rivers after authorities had either given up or paused searches because they deemed conditions too dangerous.

July 20, 2025

Calasanz was in the water with her sister, Joanne, when they felt a strong current pull them away from the shore. Calasanz swam out to save her sister, and both women were pulled out by the water, according to her family. Joanne Calasanz told The Times she was able to find her footing, but her sister was carried away by the fast-moving water.

Hours later, search-and-rescue crews located Calasanz’s body with a drone. Her body was underneath a waterfall, and it was assumed that she had already drowned. But the recovery mission was called off because rescue personnel could not get to her body in the dark, according to her family.

Rescue crews returned the next day to the waterfall, but her body was gone, according to her family.

Over the ensuing weeks, the California Office of Emergency Services joined the search along with the Sheriff’s Office, who used aircraft, underwater cameras and sonar technology to search for Calasanz’s body.

Renowned diver Juan Heredia, who has developed a reputation for locating drowning victims, also volunteered to help with the search.

Sheriff’s officials narrowed their focus to an area along the river in early July, but the river was still fast-moving and they were unable to find the body, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

After the recovery was finally completed, Francis Calasanz thanked God, the rescue crews, county officials and other volunteers who joined in the effort to search for his daughter.

“Each of you played an essential part in bringing Jomarie home. We will never forget your efforts, and we are forever grateful. May God Bless You All,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “Now, Jomarie rests in the Peace of Christ — freed from all suffering, embraced by God’s eternal love, and welcomed into the joy of everlasting life. May all be comforted in knowing that she is found. We hope that as this Good News brings us closure, it may also bring closure to the many individuals who have been touched by Jomarie’s life.”