Search and rescue teams have recovered the bodies of a man and woman found near Angel Falls, not far from Yosemite National Park in central California., The Madera County Sheriff’s Office confirmed this to Fox News Digital this week.
According to the sheriff’s office, the two were identified as Monica Ledesma, 34, and James Hall, 35, who were in a relationship.
Rescuers first found Ledesma’s body on Wednesday after receiving a call about an unconscious woman in the water not far from Bass Lake. Some of Hall’s belongings were found near Ledesma’s body, and her body was quickly recovered.
“James died a hero trying to save his girlfriend Monica,” a fundraising page set up for Hall’s family reads. “Sadly, they have both been taken from us.”
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Search and rescue teams found two bodies near Angel Falls, near Yosemite National Park in central California, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital. (Madera County Sheriff’s Office)
“This was probably the hardest day of our lives,” Hall’s mother said at the couple’s vigil, according to KFSN-TV, “but this day came for a reason, and I believe it’s because of love.”
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Nancy O’Hara, a friend of the couple, told the station: “They were kind and caring and looked after not only us old people but the young people too.”
Angel Falls is not far from Yosemite National Park. (Mark Hume/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Ledesma is the mother of an 8-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter, her mother told the station.
“Our hearts go out to the families of those who lost their lives today in Angel Falls,” Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue said in a statement. “We thank our allies for their tremendous support and response during these multiple, simultaneous events. We commend the efforts of our rescue and recovery teams, who performed their duties with diligence and respect.”
The body was recovered in Angel Falls. (John Walker/Fresno Bee/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
O’Hara added, “Monica and James were important here. They were important because they were family. They were not related except by heart. Kindness was something they all had in common, and they were role models.”
The sheriff’s office said areas near parking lots and trails, like Angel Falls, often give hikers a “false sense of security about the level of danger. Be especially careful when hiking near water. Rocks are very slippery even when dry. One wrong step can result in serious injury or death.”
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“The water is extremely swiftly moving and deathly cold. Even if the air temperatures are warm, the water is not warm. Cold water quickly removes heat from the body and makes your arms and legs less mobile. When going to rivers and streams, people should always take precautions by wearing a life jacket, bringing a life preserver with them and following river and stream closures,” the agency added.
Police have not explained how Ledesma and Hall died.
