Juan Heredia: A Call to Serve

In the spring of 2024, Juan Heredia was at work when a heartbreaking story flashed across his local news. A Stockton mother was pleading with the public for help finding her teenage son, Xavier Martinez, who had gone missing after trying to cross the Calaveras River with a friend. Despite days of intense search efforts, first responders had called off the mission, leaving Xavier’s mother, friends and family without answers.

That moment stirred something powerful in Juan, a deep, undeniable calling. “Look, I’m no better a diver than anyone else,” Juan said humbly. “But I had to go. I had to try and help this mother.”

Juan, 53, and his wife, Mercedes, 51, are mortgage lenders by trade, helping families secure home loans and refinancing. But in that moment, their work took a different direction, one rooted in service, faith and something Juan calls divine guidance. Originally from Tucumán, Argentina, Juan had been diving since the mid-1990s and became a certified instructor in 1996. But it was that call to search for Xavier that transformed diving from a skill into a mission.

Before Juan entered the water, Xavier’s mother shared with him where she believed her son might be. Juan trusted her instinct, feeling the strong connection between mother and son. Within just 30 minutes of diving, he found Xavier. “He was standing upright, arms raised as if reaching for the light, with sunbeams streaming down through the water,” Juan said quietly. “It was surreal. He looked like an angel.” That moment changed everything.

Juan didn’t see it as coincidence. “It has to be something supernatural, some kind of special guidance I’m getting. I’ve never felt anything like this before, this overwhelming sense that God is using me for a greater purpose.” Mercedes agreed with her husband. “When people start praying for him, it’s like there’s a spiritual pull. The chain of prayers makes it that much stronger.”

News of Xavier’s recovery quickly spread. When KCRA-TV showed up on the riverbank as Juan entered the water, they captured the moment, sparking a wave of public attention that would launch something far bigger than anyone expected.

A Family Mission
On Mother’s Day, Juan received another call. A young mother had jumped into the river to save two girls. The girls made it out. She didn’t. This time, it was her son who pointed Juan toward where he believed his mother might be. While Juan’s daughter, Camila Heredia, managed the dive operations from shore, ensuring coordination and safety throughout the search, Juan and his son, Matias, entered the water.

After four hours of searching the river in zero visibility conditions, they found the missing mother. “I just felt led,” Juan said. “Again, I was being guided by something greater than myself.” As word spread, the Heredias’ phone began ringing nonstop, not just from families in California, but across the U.S. and even internationally. People were desperate for help to recover loved ones lost to the water.

Until then, neither Juan nor Mercedes had realized how widespread drowning really was. According to the CDC, about 4,000 fatal drownings happen each year in the U.S., roughly 11 deaths per day. That number doubles when you include non-fatal cases. “We had no idea how common this was,” Juan said. “Now we see it everywhere.” As they continued to offer recovery missions at no charge, people began donating money and resources.

Eventually, it became necessary to create a nonprofit, Angels Recovery Dive Team, to help cover costs such as SCUBA tanks, travel, lodging and meals. “We don’t charge families,” Juan emphasized. “Volunteers help us, and the donations cover the rest. What’s happened—this movement, this support—it’s unbelievable.”

But Juan also knows the risks are real. Swift currents, deep waters, and near-zero visibility make every mission dangerous. “People worry about me, and they’re right to,” Juan admitted. “It is dangerous. But I can’t say no to these families. I manage the risk. It’s worth it to bring someone home.”

Mercedes added, “Every time he dives, I pray. I bless myself. I ask God to protect him. He’s experienced, but it’s always a risk. Still, we do it—together.” That strength, she says, comes from their bond. “We’re a team. We respect each other, support each other, and we believe in the same mission. Loving someone’s imperfections, that’s real love.”

Heartbreak and Hope
One case, however, nearly broke Juan—the search for baby Dane.

The two-year-old boy vanished from his Oregon home near the Siletz River. With no witnesses and little evidence, the massive search covered both land and water, yielding no clues. Dane’s mother even asked if someone could have taken him by boat.

“I couldn’t let her live with that uncertainty,” Juan said, his voice trembling. “If her baby was in the river, the current would sweep him out to sea fast. I had to hurry.”
Juan eventually found Dane, but the weight of that mission has never left him. “His case broke my heart completely,” he admitted. The Heredias attend the funerals of the people they recover. They keep photos of them at home. They remember every name. “They become my family,” Juan said. “I won’t forget them. I don’t want to forget them.”

When asked how they cope with so much grief, Juan turns to Mercedes, not just because she comforts others, but because she knows the pain herself. Her son, Brian Ramirez, died just two years ago at 20 years old.

“There’s no easy way to grieve,” she said. “When I hug those mothers, they feel it’s real. Because I know exactly how their hearts feel. And when they say, ‘I’ll never survive this,’ I tell them, ‘You will. It’s the hardest thing you’ll ever face, but you will survive.’” Mercedes encourages people to reach out—to God, to family, to pastors, to therapists. “Talk. Pray. Lean on the people around you. The pain doesn’t make sense, but the love you carry lives on.”

One funeral in particular hit Mercedes especially hard, that of Bree, an 18-year-old girl who accidentally drowned. Her light, her laughter, her future reminded Mercedes of her son. “Listening to people talk about her,” she said, “I just kept thinking about how bright the world would’ve been with Brian still in it.”

A Legacy of Love
Through their grief, the Heredias have sparked something remarkable, not only raising awareness about water safety but inspiring others. One 10-year-old boy, after reading about Juan’s work, now wants to become a diver. “Most people don’t know that kids can start learning SCUBA at ten,” Juan said. “It’s all about safety and respect for the water. And that’s what we’re trying to teach—safety, love and awareness.”

Mercedes added, “We just want people to put on life jackets, even when it doesn’t seem necessary.” Juan nodded solemnly. “In every case, no one did anything wrong. But accidents happen. And if we can help bring someone home or prevent a tragedy, then we’ll keep going. That’s what this is all about.”