3 men presumed drowned while saving 8-year-old in Sacramento Delta

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The search for three men missing in the Sacramento Delta has turned into a recovery operation.

Sheriff's deputies say the men were part of a group fishing on the river bank on Sunday near the Three Mile Slough Bridge in Sacramento County, across the river from Rio Vista.

The men saw an 8-year-old child struggling in the water and five men jumped into the river.

The child was pulled to safety.

But only two were able to get out of the water.

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Juan Cabrera was one of them. 

"This happened so fast, three people, my friends…and we used to come here all the time," Cabrera told KCRA3. 

Family at the scene identified the three missing men to KCRA3 as Edwin Rivas, Edwin Perez and Danilo Solorzano. 

"My heart is broken," said Elmer Rodriguz, friend to the missing parties.

Officials with State Parks explained the water currents are extreme throughout the Sacramento San Joaquin River Delta system.

"This is an unguarded swim beach, so we do not have lifeguards on duty it’s mainly a fishing access off of an unregulated trail in the state park… this is title unguarded water so the water was moving at the time," said California State Parks Capt. Paul Wissler, Captain with California State Parks.

Search crews will continue to look for the bodies of the men, whom are presumed drowned.