Good samaritan goes missing after rescuing baby and trying to rescue the mother
TRACY, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - A good samaritan is missing after he went into the San Joaquin River Tuesday after witnessing a car crash to save a woman and her baby.
He managed to get the baby out of the river but went missing when he went back in to help the mother.
The search for a good samaritan, missing in the San Joaquin River, went on as long as light allowed Tuesday.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) said calls for a vehicle in the water came in Tuesday afternoon.
When officers arrived, a group of people were already in the water trying to help a mother and her child, whose vehicle had gone off the road.
"It sounds like a short amount of time lapsed from when car was visible and then no longer visible," said Sgt. Rick Schmier of Tracy CHP.
Didn't hesitate to help
Aerial footage showed first responders searched for one of the half dozen or so people that tried to help the family.
One of those individuals, who wanted to be off-camera, said he saw the woman standing on top of the vehicle, trying to keep her child above the water.
He also said their group was on their way to work and didn't hesitate to help.
They were able to get the child to shore first, but they lost sight of a man, also in the water, who was trying to help the mother.
"I saw aftermath. I didn't see people pull the child out and the woman out. It's not my part to say for him but I'm glad he did it, especially for the child and the mother..He seems like a good guy. He just jumped in," said Anthony Amaral, a Manteca resident.
"Under investigation"
South Airport Way was closed for hours as investigators worked.
"We thought it'd be an hour or two but its been closed," said Joe Kroeze, a Modesto resident.
The crash happened near the popular restaurant, Jimmy's One Stop. The restaurant said they have cameras outside and hope to use their video to help law enforcement.
While the vehicle was removed, the CHP is looking into what caused the crash as the Sheriff's Office searches for the missing man.
"The whole thing is under investigation. At this point...we don't know why the vehicle went off the roadway. We just know it ultimately ended up in the river," Schmier detailed.
