UPDATE Aug. 2, 4:57 p.m. The body of the 17-year-old who apparently went underwater while rafting in Caswell State Park was recovered, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday afternoon in a post on Facebook.The teen was not identified and authorities are investigating the incident, the post said.Aug. 2 12:44 p.m. A teenager is missing in Caswell State Park after disappearing in the water Saturday afternoon.
According to the Ripon Fire District, the call for help came late Saturday afternoon; the Stanislaus River runs through Caswell Memorial State Park, a large recreational area north of Modesto. The 17-year-old, who was not identified, was apparently rafting when they went underwater and did not resurface. All Ripon firefighters were battling a brush fire off Highway 99 and could not respond, so Manteca firefighters were sent first to the scene. Firefighters, EMS and law enforcement joined the search, both in the water and along the Stanislaus River shore, for the missing teen.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office has taken the lead of the search, which was paused Saturday and resumed Sunday morning. The teen is still missing as of midday Sunday…