LA woman swept away by river at Sequoia National Park while trying to save sister

LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles woman is missing after she was swept away by a river at Sequoia National Park while trying to save her sister. 

What we know:

The victim, Jomarie Grace Lao Calasanz, was on a day trip with family and friends near the river on Sunday, May 25 when the incident took place. 

"While taking the first dip of the day in deceivingly calm waters, Joanne, Jomarie's older sister, started to get swept away. With a brave loving heart and amazing courage, Jomarie, being a swimmer, instantly swam to save her sister," her family shared on a GoFundMe page. 

"Both quickly got swept away into the rapids. While the river released Joanne, it is our deep regret to inform everyone that Jomarie has not yet been found." 

"Please continue to pray for her recovery, so that we may be reunited once more before we say our final goodbye," they wrote. "In her last moments she was a hero, we will honor her life by remembering her as such."

What they're saying:

Calasasnz' older sister, Joanne, broke her silence with a heartbreaking social media post honoring her "best friend, baby sis, and hero."

"You're my baby sister but many times in my life you've been my protector. You protected me until your last breath. My sister, my angel baby, I love you so much," she wrote.

Calasanz graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in political science. She minored in Asian American studies "to be a voice or aid for minority communities," she wrote in a statement to Filipino media company One Down Media, where she worked in 2024.

"She was smart, fast, and unafraid to speak up. And because of her, we got to do our best work," the organization shared on social media. "For Jomarie, storytelling was a way to love her community. She lifted up Filipino voices with honesty, courage and care. That was her purpose."

San Francisco State University also issued a statement on her passing, calling the alumnus a "bright, compassionate, and driven student whose life was tragically cut short."

What's next:

As of May 30, teams with the National Park Service and local authorities continue to search for Calasanz. 

Her family has since left Sequoia National Park and has returned to Los Angeles. 

River Safety:

The National Park Service is reminding all visitors that rivers can be extremely dangerous.

Officials say the most dangerous times are during spring and early summer when melting snow from the mountains makes river waters swift, icy cold, and extremely hazardous. 

"While recreating in the parks' lakes and rivers can be tempting, drowning is the primary cause of death here," the NPS wrote on its website. "In river-related deaths, many people did not intend to swim but fell in. Cold water can quickly weaken your strength, and strong currents can make it nearly impossible to get back out. Hypothermia can set in quickly even if it is warm outside."

For more river safety tips, visit the NPS website.