DELRAN, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — The body of a woman has been recovered from the Delaware River after she jumped in to save a girl Monday afternoon in Burlington County but never resurfaced.
Delran police were called to Amico Island Park in Riverside around 4 p.m. Officials said Priscila Alvares Pereira Dos Santos, of Delran, saw a girl struggling in the water, where the Rancocas Creek and Delaware River connect. Santos jumped in and helped push the girl toward bystanders along the shore, who were able to get her out.
However, Santos never resurfaced. Rescue crews from all over the area searched for her for hours Monday night and Tuesday morning, using sonar in the water and drones in the air. They found her body around 8:15 a.m., about 20 feet off the beach.
Delran Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Peak said the family-friendly Amico Island Park is typically a place for activities like hiking and picnicking, but visitors are discouraged from going into the water.
“Swimming is definitely prohibited; if not prohibited, then strongly discouraged because of the moving current of the Delaware River,” he said. “It’ll pull you right under, and if you’re not a strong swimmer or a good swimmer, it’s not going to fare very well for anyone involved.”
Santos’ family members, including her husband, Alex Cândido do Nascimento, were on the scene Tuesday — the day of her 34th birthday. He called her a “heroine” who “gave her own life to save a child.”
The child she rescued is the daughter of a family member, he said.
Santos leaves behind her husband and two children, ages 9 and 3. Friends started a GoFundMe to cover funeral costs and help the family.
Amico Island Park remains closed while investigators finish their work.
