Sadly, not all search and rescues have a happy ending. A diver is speaking about the heartbreak of finding missing 2-year-old Dane Paulsen deceased in the water.
The toddler disappeared while playing in his yard in Oregon. It kicked off a multi-day search for the missing 2-year-old. Ultimately, that search ended when a diver found the toddler's body in the Siletz River in Lincoln County. It was located about three miles away from his home.
Speaking with local news outlet Fox 12, diving instructor Juan Heredia says he was on vacation when he heard about the missing toddler. Abandoning his trip early, he drove 12 hours from California to volunteer to help search for the boy. Sadly, his search ended in locating the toddler's body.
"When I found him, I [brought] him to the shore because he was around six feet deep. I just waited for the sheriff, then the medical examiner to come," he recalled. "It was miserable."
Diver Speaks Out About Discovery
"I think every single [body discovered on a dive] is heartbreaking, but it's a boy, 2 years [old]. It's just hard to believe," he added.
The diver said that he turned down money to search for the toddler. He did this to help them. "I just wanted to help them find closure," he said.
Heredia said that he located the toddler's body at the bottom of the river. Afterwards, he spoke with the boy's mother about the discovery. "She was very thankful. There's no words. She didn't have words. I didn't have words. It was a hard moment," he recalled.
The sheriff's department confirmed his death on March 11. It was 10 days after he had went missing. They wrote, "It is with heavy hearts that we announce the discovery of Dane Paulsen, who had been missing since March 1, 2025 around 4:25pm. After an extensive search and investigation by local authorities, along with the help of community volunteers, Dane was found today at approximately 11:13am in the Siletz River approximately 3 miles downstream from the family's property. Sadly, he was found deceased."
An autopsy confirmed that the toddler drowned. Authorities do not suspect foul play.
