Search for missing 15-year-old boy leads to body found in Russian River

A body was found Friday as authorities searched for a 15-year-old boy who went missing Thursday afternoon in the Russian River, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office officials said.

Though it is too early for official confirmation, an underwater remotely operated vehicle recovered the body around 10:30 a.m., with investigators saying it could be the missing teen, Deputy Robert Dillion, a Sheriff’s Office spokesman, said Friday afternoon.

Two teen boys were reported missing in the river Thursday shortly after 4:30 p.m. near 9000 River Road, according to officials. Witnesses told authorities that one of the teens was able to get out of the water on his own and was transported to a hospital, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release. The extent of his injuries hasn’t been disclosed.

Search and rescue efforts for the other boy continued until 11 p.m., with a litany of agencies pitching in. They included the county sheriff’s marine unit, dive team and Henry-1 helicopter; the Graton Fire Department; Sonoma County Fire District; Santa Rosa Police Drone Team; Napa County Sheriff's Office Motor Unit; and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to the release.

As early as sunrise Friday, the Sheriff’s Office was aided by marine units from the Napa County and Sacramento County sheriff’s offices, as well as officials with Sonoma County Regional Parks, who all searched in the waters at Steelhead Beach north of Forestville, between Santa Rosa and Guerneville.

Napa County’s remote-operated, underwater sonar equipment spotted the body, authorities said.

“Our hope is for a rescue, but unfortunately as time goes on, the possibility for a rescue becomes more and more difficult,” Dillion said. “The water looks calm over the top but it’s the deep pockets of swift water moving underneath which make it really dangerous.”

The lower Russian River is running about 6.7 feet deep, with flows of about 1,500 cubic feet per second, at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hacienda Bridge gauge in Guerneville, the closest gauge to Steelhead Beach, Sonoma Water spokesperson Andrea Rodriguez said.

With rain predicted to begin Friday night and continue Saturday, the river’s depth is set to peak at 8.6 feet, with peak flows of about 2,600 cubic feet per second on Sunday, Rodriguez said.

Those conditions are relatively normal for this time of year, down significantly from peak winter flows. But they can still be hazardous for swimmers and paddlers.

The river’s safety patrol does not start working on the river until Memorial Day weekend, according to the Sonoma County Regional Parks website.

Steelhead Beach was closed as investigators continued their work Friday, said Sarah Phelps, a Sonoma County Regional Parks spokesperson.

Reach Staff Writer Alana Minkler at 707-526-8531 or alana.minkler@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter,) @alana_minkler.