STOCKTON, Calif. — Candles, flowers and heartfelt notes were left on the levee beside the Calaveras River Wednesday, a big difference from the scene on River Drive in Stockton where for the past week, crews searched with boats, robots and sonar devices for Stagg High School student Xavier Martinez.
Stockton resident and scuba diving instructor Juan Heredia is still processing what happened Tuesday afternoon when he dove into the Calaveras River on his own and started feeling around the river floor. Just 30 minutes into his search, the diver of nearly 20 years discovered Martinez's body.
"We (haven't) realized yet what's happened," said Heredia. "Suddenly I saw his tennis shoes and then I was looking up and of course, I noticed that it was him."
Juan's family called 911 from the levee and the sheriff's office boat recovered the teen's body
"I was glad that me and my family were there to help (the mother) and to close and to console her," said Heredia.
While the discovery from a volunteer brings some closure to the family, law enforcement's failed nearly five-day-long search efforts have brought frustration and questions.
"I didn't want to go before that because I respect the police, I respect the sheriff," said Heredia. "I think if somebody would jump to do a dive the same day, they would (have found) the body."
At the scene of the recovery Tuesday, the chief of Stockton Unified's Department of Public Safety confirmed that no law enforcement agencies brought divers to the search area.
"From my understanding, this water is very dangerous. There's a lot of shrubberies, garbage underneath there which made it very dangerous for any divers to go in there," said Chief Mayra Franco. "That's why they relied on robotics."
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In a statement Wednesday, the Stockton Unified School District said that search crews exhausted all of their options. The district says mental health clinicians and counselors are on hand at Stagg High School for those in need of support.
"The Stockton School District Department of Public Safety called upon the San Joaquin County Sheriff Boating Unit to search for the missing student. The San Joaquin County Sheriff Office Boating Unit was out every day since Wednesday, March 13," the statement said. "The department used all resources available and even had neighboring agencies assist. The Sheriff’s Department says it exhausted all of its resources."
While Heredia recognizes that law enforcement has better technology and training, he and some in the community believe things could have been handled differently.
"It's hard to believe that I did that in half an hour," said Heredia. "The police, the sheriff, the authorities have to be more open when the family needs to see the kid and don't take too long."
Heredia says the recovery has left him with a message for the community:
"Everybody has to find a way to help somebody. That's going to pay you back so many times," said Heredia. "Kiss more often, hug more often to your kids. You never know when you're going to lose them."