Woman goes missing in river near Newman after trying to rescue daughter, sheriff reports
Several agencies and family members searched for a woman who went missing in the San Joaquin River near Newman on Thursday.
Brenda Duran, 30, remained missing as of late morning Saturday, about 40 hours after jumping into the water to aid her struggling daughter.
Husband Jaime Aguilar told KCRA 3 News that the family was helping with the search. He described Duran as “a very thriving person, always smiling, never giving up and very compassionate.”
Duran was watching her children play in the water when one of them began to go under and she jumped in to help, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department said. It happened at Fisherman’s Bend, a trailer park on River Road.
A Facebook post said the child, an 11-year-old girl, got out safely, as did a 14-year-old brother who also tried to help.
The department responded to a 911 call about Duran at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The post said the search continued until about 11 p.m. that day but was paused due to poor visibility and safety concerns. The sheriff’s dive team resumed the search Friday morning.
It also involves aircraft from the sheriff and Modesto Police Department, the West Stanislaus County Fire Protection District, Patterson District Ambulance, AMR ambulance, chaplains, the Merced County Sheriff’s Office and the Newman Police Department.
