Alejandra Ramirez Torres, a 39-year-old mother of two daughters, was identified by relatives after firefighters located her body in a stretch of the Santa Ana River that runs through Costa Mesa and Fountain Valley, California.
Shortly before noon on Jan. 1, Orange County Fire Authority crews responded to reports of a possible water emergency near South Harbor Boulevard and Warner Avenue in Costa Mesa. Witnesses saw a woman in the swollen, fast-moving water, and bystanders reported hearing her yell for help. Despite a swift response by more than 60 firefighters, crews were unable to save her.
“Potentially up to a couple miles of this person being in the cold, fast-moving water, and that is a challenging situation for anybody to find themselves in,” OCFA Capt. Sean Doran says, “Despite all the efforts that we could put forth for this rescue, this is just a tragic outcome.”
The river’s current had carried her body approximately 1.5 to 2 miles downstream to Fountain Valley, where rescuers eventually recovered it. The emergency responders confirmed that the recovery operation involved a water rescue team hoisting Ramirez Torres’s body from the riverbed after locating it, and she was first seen in distress. Video from news outlets showed crews setting up equipment along the riverbank to extract her body carefully. Authorities turned the recovery over to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department once the body was pulled from the water.
Officials pronounced her dead at the scene. The exact cause of death has not been released, and authorities have not yet determined how or why she entered the river.
The Santa Ana river winds through several Orange County communities, and it can become particularly hazardous during periods of increased rainfall—especially from December through January through February, when the region typically sees its highest precipitation. Rapid currents and shifting water levels have posed serious risks in the past for swimmers and people near the riverbanks. However, incidents like this remain relatively rare compared with other emergency responses in the area.
Ramirez Torres lived in Tustin with her two daughters, ages 11 and 16. The girls were still recovering from a bus crash that occurred just a month earlier. According to family members, they had been returning from a church camp when the bus veered off the road and overturned near Running Springs. Over 20 people, including adults and teenagers, were injured.
“Her two girls have been through a lot recently,” Cousin Victor Torrez said. “Right now, they’re with the family. They’re pretty devastated. We’re trying to be there as much as we can for them in the future as well.”
In the days following her death, relatives created a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral expenses and offer financial support for her daughters, stressing their commitment to making sure the girls are cared for during this difficult time.
At this time, investigators have not released any further information about the circumstances that led Ramirez Torres to be in the river, nor have they indicated whether her death may have involved foul play, a celebration gone wrong, or another cause. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the coroner’s office say the investigation remains ongoing.
“She was a good mother,” cousin Torrez said. “It’s really sad news for everyone. No one wants to hear that on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.”
