Search underway for 17-year-old boy swept away by Merced River

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- Authorities are searching for a 17-year aged lad who they judge whitethorn person drowned successful the Merced River implicit the weekend.

The Merced County Sheriff's Office says the teen was with a person Saturday nighttime astatine the McConnell State Recreation Area adjacent Livingston.

Around 6:30 pm, investigators accidental the teen asked to usage someone's kayak truthful helium could instrumentality photos.

Officials accidental that's however the teen ended up successful the water.

"This is simply a precise tragic, tragic concern for the household but preventing thing from happening is conscionable arsenic casual arsenic staying retired of the rivers," said Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke.

So far, the sheriff's dive squad has not been capable to find the boy's body.

That's wherever nonrecreational scuba diver Juan Heredia comes in.

He's volunteering his skills and spent Monday day searching the stream for the teen.

Heredia precocious located Brenda Duran's assemblage aft she was swept distant by the almighty San Joaquin River.

"I started 28 years agone and I'm giving backmost to the assemblage what I learned, studied, practiced. I'm a nonrecreational diver," said Heredia.

He says he's determined to bring closure to the loved ones of the missing teen.

With the upwind continuing to lukewarm up, the snowfall melt from section mountains is lone going to marque currents much aggravated on the river.

Heredia says helium felt the powerfulness of the existent portion searching the water. He says it was moving truthful fast, the teen's assemblage is apt acold downstream now.

"On the near shore, connected the close enactment and successful the middle. I tried everything and I couldn't find him," said Heredia.

As the hunt for the 17-year-old continues, the sheriff hopes radical volition enactment retired of the h2o to debar much tragedy.

"It's a bittersweet communicative that's told galore times passim the years. Stay retired of the water," said Warnke.

Sheriff Warnke has ordered some the Merced and San Joaquin Rivers closed for recreational usage until further notice.

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