26-year-old’s body found months after she vanished in river in CA national park
The body of a 26-year-old woman was recovered months after she was swept away in a river at a California national park, rangers said.
Jomarie Calasanz of La Puente was found dead July 24 by search teams, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks said in a July 29 news release. Her identity was confirmed July 28.
“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,” her family said in a July 29 Facebook post.
Calasanz went to Sequoia National Park on Memorial Day weekend with her family, McClatchy News reported.
At one point, she saw her older sister struggling in the Kaweah River near Paradise Creek Bridge, so she jumped in the water to save her.
But both sisters ended up caught in the fast-moving currents.
Her sister, Joanne Calasanz, made it out of the water safely, but Jomarie Calasanz wasn’t seen again.
Search teams looked for Jomarie Calasanz for nine days before “scaling down due to dangerous river conditions,” park officials said.
The teams waited to look for her again until it was safe to do so because of the dangerous high-flowing water, park officials said.
Those teams then set out to find her July 24, and they found her body that day, officials said.
Diver Juan Heredia and his team also spent two days searching the river for Jomarie Calasanz, he said in a July 14 Facebook post.
Heredia said he covered between 5 and 7 miles, ”diving in pools, under boulders, searching the shores—and we couldn’t find her.”
Heredia said in a July 29 Facebook post that Jomarie Calasanz “died a hero” saving her sister.
“Jomarie didn’t die in vain,” he wrote.
Sequoia National Park is about an 80-mile drive southeast from Fresno.
This story was originally published July 30, 2025 at 9:20 AM with the headline "26-year-old’s body found months after she vanished in river in CA national park."
