Crews Continue Search For Missing Man In American River Near Rancho Cordova
RANCHO CORDOVA (CBS13) – Crews on Sunday afternoon continued searching for a 30-year-old man who went missing in the river near Rancho Cordova.
Witnesses at the scene Saturday told CBS13 a boat capsized and a man was struggling to swim without a life vest.
Air and water units were in the area conducting the search until the nighttime Saturday. Just after 5 p.m. Sunday, crews were getting ready to head back out into the water to continue looking for the man.
Brandon Dobrescu said he saw the moment the man disappeared.
"I saw these two guys without rafts, without life vests - and one of them just went under the water," Dobrescu said.
He says that man never came back up.
"It's honestly pretty horrifying," he said.
Metro Fire said the El Manto access area of the river is particularly dangerous and known for its unpredictable depths.
"With the shallow water we're seeing this year, there's a lot more snags, shrubs and rocks," said Capt. Chris Vestal with Sac Metro Fire. "This water is still moving very fast, it's unpredictable and different than people have experienced in the past."
He added people should wear life vests when they're out on the water. Witnessing this incident is a stark reminder to Dobrescu to do just that.
"It's like an awakening, you have to put a life vest on when you go to the river," Dobrescu said.
