The diver who recovered the body of 2-year-old Dane Paulsen is recalling the moments and hours after he discovered the toddler.
Search and recovery diving instructor Juan Heredia, founder of the nonprofit Angels Recovery Dive Team, found Dane after a two-hour dive in the frigid waters of the Siletz River in Lincoln County, Ore., about three miles downstream from the boy’s home, per CNN.
Heredia told the outlet that he left a vacation early after learning about the case and drove 12 hours from his home in Stockton, Calif., to offer his services to the Paulsen family.
While speaking to local news outlet Fox 12, Heredia said he used photos as well as information provided by Dane’s mother about what her son was wearing at the time of his disappearance in order to identify him.
“When I found him, I [brought] him to the shore because he was around six feet deep. I just waited for the sheriff, then the medical examiner to come,” he recalled. “It was miserable.”
“I think every single [body discovered on a dive] is heartbreaking, but it’s a boy, 2 years [old]. It’s just hard to believe,” he added.
Heredia further told Fox 12 that he refused to accept money from the family. “I just wanted to help them find closure,” he said with tears in his eyes.
In an interview with KATU News, Heredia shared that he ultimately found Dane’s body at the bottom of the river near a tree. He also said he spoke to the child’s mother after finding him.
“She was very thankful. There’s no words. She didn’t have words. I didn’t have words. It was a hard moment,” he recalled.
FULL STORY: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/diver-recalls-heartbreaking-experience-finding-150000937.html
