Orange County mother identified as woman found in Santa Ana riverbed
Relatives of Alejandra Ramirez Torres, 39, mourned her death on Friday after Orange County firefighters recovered her body in the Santa Ana River on New Year's Day.
The Orange County Fire Authority said someone reported Ramirez Torres' body in the water near South Harbor Boulevard and Warner Avenue in Costa Mesa. More than 60 firefighters from different local agencies joined the rescue efforts, which ended about two miles away after crews successfully recovered Ramirez Torres in Fountain Valley.
"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 "Despite all the efforts that we could put forth for this rescue, this is just a tragic outcome."
Family members described her as an outgoing mother who tried to host the best parties for her children.
"She was a good mother," cousin Victor 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."
Ramirez Torres lived in Tustin with her two daughters, ages 16 and 11. Her two daughters were still recovering from a crash a month ago. The family said the two girls were on their way back from a church camp when their bus veered off the road and overturned near Running Springs.
More than 20 people were injured, including adults and teenagers.
"Her two girls have been through a lot recently," 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."
