A volunteer diver from California has played a crucial role in providing closure to at least 15 families in the western United States by locating the bodies of individuals who tragically drowned. This includes children caught in strong currents and hikers who disappeared at dangerous waterfalls.
Juan Heredia, a 53-year-old mortgage lender and certified scuba instructor based in Stockton, California, embarked on this recovery mission in March 2024. His involvement began after noticing a plea from a local mother seeking assistance. Fifteen-year-old Xavier Martinez had jumped into the Calaveras River near his school in Stockton and did not surface again. Despite six days of official rescue teams’ searching, he was not found.
Upon meeting Xavier’s mother, Amanda Martinez, Heredia was informed that she believed her son lay underwater beneath a tree. Heredia discovered Xavier there within 30 minutes of diving. In recognition of his efforts, the Stockton City Council awarded him a key to the city.
This initial recovery marked the start of an intense mission. Heredia has since located bodies throughout California and Oregon, often traveling long distances at his own expense to assist families in need. His nonprofit, Angels Recovery Dive Team, was established in the summer of 2024 to support his volunteer activities. He does not charge for his services; instead, he depends on donations.
Heredia’s recovery operations have taken him to some of the region’s most difficult environments. In June 2025, he retrieved three men at Rattlesnake Falls in Placer County, California, after they were swept away by strong currents. Despite the challenging terrain and potent currents that deterred other professional divers, Heredia succeeded. “I found them!! The family no longer has to wait in agony!! That waterfall was brutal. He was pushing me hard… but I wouldn’t leave without those 3 souls,” Heredia wrote on Facebook.
In March 2025, Heredia drove 12 hours from California to Oregon following a stranger’s message on Facebook concerning two-year-old Dane Paulsen, who vanished from his home near the Siletz River. Despite being on vacation in Mexico with his wife, Heredia felt an obligation to help. He located the toddler’s body in the river near a submerged tree.
One of Heredia’s recent recoveries involved an incident at Garrapata State Beach on November 14, 2025. Seven-year-old Anzi Hu and her father, Yuji Hu, of Calgary, Alberta, were swept into the sea by a large wave. Her father died attempting a rescue. Heredia found her body approximately 100 yards offshore on November 16.
Heredia’s family, including his wife, Mercedes, and children, Camila, 22, and Matias, 24, are all divers who assist in his efforts. In July, he transitioned to focusing full-time on recovery missions. His family has also faced tragedy; Mercedes’ son Brian died in a vehicular accident that resulted in his drowning.
The emotional impact of his work is significant. “I remember every single name and every single place of every single son and daughter I’ve found,” Heredia told People magazine. He keeps photographs of all the individuals he has recovered in his living room, choosing to remember them in happier times.
In July 2025, Heredia went to Sequoia National Park to search for Jomarie Calasanz, 26, who disappeared in the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River while helping her sister during a Memorial Day outing.
Not all agencies are receptive to outside help. When Heredia traveled to Dillon Falls in Central Oregon to aid in the search for missing boaters, authorities denied him access to the search area, causing frustration over perceived jurisdictional limitations.
Matt Bowman, whose friends were among those Heredia recovered at Rattlesnake Falls, commended the diver’s unique approach. Bowman highlighted that Heredia addresses victims by name rather than as bodies and that he strives to recover them in a state suitable for open-casket funerals to offer families some comfort.
Amanda Martinez, whose son Xavier was Heredia’s first recovery, found the diver’s quick success remarkable after official teams had searched for nearly a week. She expressed astonishment at Heredia’s achievement in just 30 minutes.
Heredia, originally from Argentina, honed his skills navigating turbid river waters, which he now uses to help families find answers during difficult times. He explained to The Record earlier this year, “This country gave me so many good things that my way of giving back is by putting my skills in diving for the community.”
