The search for a two-year-old who went missing on March 1 has ended after his body was found six feet underwater at the bottom of an Oregon River on March 11.
A volunteer diver recovered Dane Paulsen’s deceased body at 11:13 a.m. in the Siletz River, which is three miles away from his family’s home, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO).
Rescue teams used drones, dogs, and watercraft, and fire and police agencies assisted the LCSO in methodically searching the property and surrounding areas with boots on the ground and using thermal imaging equipment.
There had been a vehicle of interest described as a late 1990s gold station wagon that was seen near the home where the toddler was last known to be seen playing in the yard. However, Shanks previously said no evidence linked the vehicle directly to Paulsen’s disappearance.
Although LCSO divers thoroughly combed the river, it was Juan Heredia, 52, of the nonprofit organization Angels Recovery Dive Team who found the toddler against a tree trunk underwater.
“If I hadn’t found him, that boy would have been underwater for another week because he was in great condition and because of the cold water,” Heredia told NTD, The Epoch Times’ sister media, on March 12. “The cold water prevented his body from floating to the surface.”
Heredia, who is originally from Argentina, offered his dive services to the Paulsen family and was escorted to the river by a local guide.
Dressed in a scuba suit, Heredia prayed, then put on a mask, held his breath, and started to dive into the water without equipment. That’s when he saw the boy’s face.
“There was not a mark on his body. He was a perfect beautiful baby,” Heredia said tearfully in a phone interview with NTD.
Paulsen is the eighth drowned human body that Heredia has recovered since he began diving for human remains a year ago and Paulsen was the youngest yet.
Heredia, who was a lifeguard as a teenager, handles the losses he encounters as a volunteer diver with his faith in God and by spending time with his wife, Mercedes, and their two children.
“I want to go home and hug my kids,” Heredia said on his drive back to California from Oregon.
LCSO investigators are currently processing the scene.
“The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is working in partnership with the Lincoln County Medical Examiner’s Office,” the social media post stated on March 11. “As is standard with ongoing investigations, additional details are not available at this time. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office expresses its deepest sympathies to Dane’s family and loved ones. The impact of this loss is felt by the entire community, and we join those grieving this unimaginable tragedy.”
The LCSO is holding a press conference on March 13 at 12:30 p.m. at the Siletz Valley Grange Hall in Siletz.
