MOSS LANDING, Calif. (KRON) — A days long search for a missing 7-year-old boy ended on Saturday when recovery divers assisting the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office found his body in Moss Landing. The body of the boy’s mother was recovered in the water two days earlier.
California Recovery Divers is a non-profit team that assists with drownings. The group has extensive sonar technologies and search techniques for underwater. The team contacted the sheriff’s office on Friday to offer support with search efforts.
(Photos courtesy of California Recovery Divers)
Saturday morning at 8 a.m., the sheriff’s office went out with the California Recovery Divers team to resume the search for the missing boy. Just over 3 hours later, divers found a child’s remains about 10 feet below the harbor’s surface.
The Coroner’s Unit of the sheriff’s office arrived at the scene and identified the remains as that of missing boy Edgar Espinoza based on forensic evidence. Espinoza’s family was notified of the findings. A GoFundMe has been established to help the family cover upcoming costs.
“The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office and the personnel of the Coroner Unit offers its sincerest condolences to the family and friends of the child. We also extend our thanks to the California Recovery Divers, the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team, Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, Sheriff’s Office Drone Team, United States Coast Guard, California State Parks, North Monterey County Fire, CalFire, and the Harbor Master’s Office for all efforts of their personnel to locate and recover the child and bring him home to his family.” — Monterey County Sheriff’s Office
The discovery of Edgar’s body ended a days-long search for the boy by several agencies, including the United States Coast Guard. The search was initiated on Wednesday after a 3-year-old boy–later identified as Espinoza’s little brother, Miguel–informed a Good Samaritan that his mother was missing near Moss Landing.
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The body of 27-year-old Florencia Ramirez, Edgar’s mother, was found floating in the water on Wednesday night, the sheriff’s office said. The Coast Guard called off their search efforts Thursday morning due to challenges with visibility in the water.
