NEED TO KNOW
- The body of 26-year-old Jomarie Calasanz of La Puente, Calif., was discovered in a river in Sequoia National Park on July 24
- She was swept away by a “cold, swift and dangerous” river on May 25
- According to a GoFundMe, she was attempting to save her sister
The body of a woman who was swept away by a “cold, swift and dangerous” river in Sequoia National Park on May 25 was recovered two months later.
Jomarie Calasanz’s body was recovered by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Swiftwater Dive Rescue Team in coordination with the National Park Service on July 24. She was identified on Monday, July 28, by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office.
The La Puente, Calif., resident was 26.
“I am extremely grateful for the coordination, support, and determination by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and our NPS team, in the continued search for Jomarie,” Superintendent Clay Jordan said in a statement from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.
“I hope this brings some level of closure to the family,” he added.
The TCSO also shared a warning to park goers.
“We would like to remind the public that rivers remain dangerous even with lower flow rates later in the season. Please stay away from swift water, be sure to wear a life jacket, and keep children close along the river’s edge,” the statement read.
According to a GoFundMe, Calasanz jumped into the water that day to rescue her sister.
“What was supposed to be a fun, bonding moment very quickly turned into a traumatic event that will stick with us forever,” the organizer wrote in a message. “While taking the first dip of the day in deceivingly calm waters, Joanne, Jomarie’s older sister, started to get swept away.”
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“With a brave loving heart and amazing courage, Jomarie, being a swimmer, instantly swam to save her sister. Both quickly got swept away into the rapids. While the river released Joanne, it is our deepest regret to inform everyone that Jomarie has not yet been found,” the organizer continued.
Calasanz graduated from San Francisco State University, earning a political science degree in 2020, according to her LinkedIn profile. Her alma mater released a statement, calling her a “bright, compassionate, and driven student,” Fox affiliate KTTV reported.
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