Dive team finds body of missing Stockton man Jacob VanZant in San Joaquin River
LODI -- Authorities say the body found in a car submerged under 18 feet of water has been identified as that of an at-risk missing person.
Jacob VanZant, 24, was last seen on February 17 at a restaurant in downtown Lodi. He was driving a white 2004 Honda Pilot with a California license plate number 5JBC311. When he didn't come back to his home in Stockton, his family reported him missing, according to a Lodi Police Department statement.
Initially, there was no reason to think he was in danger, but on February 20, police learned VanZant may have some health issues that put him at risk.
Police said they were following up on tips and working with other agencies to try and find him.
However, Saturday morning, the dive team group known as Adventures With Purpose announced they had gone out to the Little Potato Slough part of the San Joaquin River and found VanZant's vehicle about 150 feet offshore and under about 18 feet of water.
A body was found in the car, divers said. The San Joaquin County Coroner's Office has since identified the body as that of VanZant.
No exact cause of death has been listed for VanZant.
Adventures With Purpose was also involved in the 2022 search and eventual discovery of missing Truckee teen Kiely Rodni. Her vehicle was found in about 14 feet of water in Prosser Lake; dive team members found her body still in the vehicle.
