Teen's body recovered after missing during river rafting in California park

Emergency crews were alerted Saturday afternoon to a swimmer in trouble on the Stanislaus River within Caswell Memorial State Park, San Joaquin County. Because the Ripon Consolidated Fire Department was occupied with a nearby vegetation fire, the Manteca Fire Department initially took the call. A coordinated search involving the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, its Boating Safety Unit, an unmanned aircraft system drone team, and fire personnel began around 4 p.m. and continued through the night.

On Sunday, search teams recovered the body of 17-year-old Gabriel Santiago, who had been rafting with friends when he went underwater and did not resurface. The sheriff’s office now leads a drowning investigation, supported by the aforementioned agencies. Santiago’s mother described him as a loving child during statements to media.