NEWMAN, Calif. — The search for a missing Stanislaus County mother ended when the sheriff's office announced volunteer divers found her body in the river Saturday afternoon.
Saturday was the third day of searching for Brenda Duran who had jumped into the San Joaquin River near Newman around 6:30 p.m. Thursday to rescue her 11-year-old daughter. Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office deputies said her 14-year-old son also jumped into the water to help in the rescue.
The two children made it out safely, but their Duran had not. Duran's family told ABC10 Saturday there were three children in the water at the time of her disappearance on the river at Fisherman's Bend. At least one of the children was Duran's niece, family members said.
The Sheriff's Office said they sent divers into the river and used drones, boats, sonar equipment and a helicopter to look for Duran Friday and continued Saturday morning.
Officials tell ABC10 she was found approximately 100 yards away from where she was last seen and the volunteer diver found her just outside of their expanded search area around 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
Water gauges in the area showed that the flows on the river increased by 500 cubic feet per second overnight. In light of the increased flow, the Sheriff's Office says it expanded its area of focus for Saturday but that the search was not stopped or suspended.
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