Firefighters recovered a teenager’s body days after he and his father crashed into an aqueduct near Patterson, California.
The morning of the accident on Aug. 5, the boy’s father, Raul Ramirez, was found dead at the wheel of a 2003 Nissan SUV, but 15-year-old Aaron Ramirez was nowhere to be found, the Modesto Bee reported.
Three days later, the Patterson Fire Department found Aaron’s body in the water.
He was about two miles downstream from the crash site, according to KTXL-TV in Sacramento, California.
Back home, Elvia Ramirez and her surviving child, Isaac, mourned the loss of her husband and son.
Crews continue searching for 15-year-old Aaron Ramirez, who went missing after a deadly crash near Patterson. https://t.co/2sbjSiOVdt
— Simply_Stranger (@AngelsBokenHalo) August 8, 2025
“This heartbreaking event has left Elvia and Isaac facing a future without two of the most important people in their lives,” a GoFundMe page started by family said.
“While grieving such an overwhelming loss, Elvia is also confronted with unexpected and significant expenses — funeral and memorial costs, time away from work, counseling, and daily living needs for her and Isaac as they navigate life during this difficult transition,” the page read.
The California Highway Patrol said that on the day of the crash, Ramirez had been driving north on I-5, according to KTXL-TV.
He had been towing a single-axle utility trailer and at some point made an “unsafe turning movement.”
A Los Banos family is mourning the loss of a husband and a son after they crashed into an aqueduct in Stanislaus County.https://t.co/S6x8JCjQpl
— KSEE24 News (@KSEE24) August 12, 2025
The SUV veered to the right and went 1,000 feet down an embankment before crashing into the California Aqueduct.
The CHP responded to the incident around 6:31 a.m., and the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Dive Team recovered Raul Ramirez and helped extract the vehicle.
The incident is still under investigation, and police have not yet published a toxicology report.
“We want to thank everyone for the love, prayers, and support you have shown our family during this incredibly difficult time. Your kindness has been a source of comfort as we prepare to honor the lives of Raul and Aaron,” the GoFundMe page continued.
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