"A true hero": Body of man who helped rescue mom, daughter from San Joaquin River located
TRACY - The body of a man who jumped in to help a mother and daughter who crashed into the San Joaquin River this week was recovered Wednesday.
A San Joaquin County coroner identified him as 41-year-old Manteca resident Eddie Gerardo Cervantes Lora.
Authorities are calling Cervantes Lora a hero, but not with the ending anyone would have liked.
"His immediate response to jump in to help another shows the kind of person that I assume he was, and we're just very sorry today," said spokesperson for the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office Heather Brent.
The mother and her five-year-old were heading northbound on Airport Way over a bridge Tuesday when she drove off the road into the embankment, crashing into a tree and then the water.
Two people who spotted the pair standing on top of the sinking SUV jumped into the river to help -- one brought the child to shore safely, and then Cervantes Lora attempted to rescue the woman. But before she could be rescued, the woman went under the water, and a short time later, washed up on shore alive but badly injured.
The mother remains in the intensive care unit at the San Joaquin General Hospital.
Cervantes Lora's whereabouts remained unknown until now. Authorities praised him for his efforts.
"It just shows everyone in this community what a quick response and what a true hero is, and honestly, it's unfortunate the way that it ended today," Brent said.
Crews used a search and rescue robot that gave an underwater view to search teams that were up against fast-flowing conditions in the river.
"It is pretty frigid waters here," Brent said.
Over 20 loved ones of Cervantes Lora helped with the search and stood by on Wednesday.
"It is a terrible tragedy," said Officer Nelson Zelaya with CHP Tracy.
