A woman whose body was recovered from the Santa Ana River on New Year’s Day has been identified by family members as a local mother of two.
Orange County Fire Authority said crews responded shortly before noon Jan. 1 after reports of a body in the river near Warner Avenue and Harbor Boulevard. Swift-water rescue teams were dispatched as fast-moving water carried the woman about two miles downstream, officials said.
Firefighters recovered the woman’s body in the Fountain Valley area near Ellis Avenue, using an aerial ladder to lower crews into the river before placing her into a Stokes basket and hoisting her out of the water. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Family members later identified the woman as Alejandra Ramirez Torres, 39, who leaves behind two daughters, ages 11 and 16, according to a GoFundMe created by relatives…