JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As searchers continue to look for a child who remains unaccounted for days after a vessel capsized on the St. Johns River, the child’s mother offered a heartfelt message for all who have helped since the tragic accident.
Through a friend, Paula Valderrama shared a statement expressing her heartbreak and her gratitude.
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“She would like to thank all those who took the time to search for her family. Thank you to all the agencies involved tirelessly in this search. Her heartbreak from losing her whole family is indescribable, and she is beyond appreciative for all those who have prayed for the family and reached out to her to see how they can help. She is grateful to have such a loving community during this tragedy.”
According to a GoFundMe, Valderrama lost her husband, Cristian Marin, their two children, and her mother-in-law, who was visiting the family from Colombia. As of Tuesday morning, the GoFundMe had raised over $42,000.
The accident was first reported to the Coast Guard around 7 p.m. Friday after an 18-foot vessel overturned on the St. Johns River near the Dames Point Bridge, sending all eight people aboard into the water, including the two children.
According to Jacksonville Fire and Rescue, the group was out taking photos of the sunset.
First responders with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Coast Guard, the FWC and JFRD responded to the Mill Cove area of Jacksonville, near where the Trout River and St. Johns River intersect, and found four of those aboard were able to cling to the overturned boat.
They were rescued and one adult who did not survive was found nearby.
That left first responders searching for another adult and the two children.
The adult’s body was found Sunday evening, and the body of one of the children was found Monday morning.
The second child remains missing.
The Coast Guard suspended its search Saturday night.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of those missing. Suspending search efforts is an incredibly difficult and heartbreaking decision, made only after an exhaustive and thorough search,” said Lt. Cmdr. Barton Nanney, the Jacksonville search and rescue mission coordinator. “We are truly grateful to our partner agencies for their relentless efforts and unwavering support.”
The search resumed on Sunday led by the FWC, which urges the public to avoid the search zone to allow divers and officers to work safely.
On Sunday, community members got involved in looking for the missing boaters and expressed their commitment to providing closure for the families involved.
Monday night, several members of the community gathered at the Lions Club Boat Ramp to pray for the family and the lives lost.
“I am a parent and this is the hardest road that I think any parent can face,” Lizzie Mohr said.
Mohr joined the group for their prayer circle. She said she knew Cristian Marin.
“He was a beam of light,” she said. “He always had something to say about his family, his kids.”
She said he was a part of the real estate community.
Florida Homes Realty & Mortgage shared a message on Facebook. It said, in part, “With heavy hearts, we share the devastating news of the passing of our beloved agent, Cristian Marin, his mother, and his two children in a tragic accident.”
A Jacksonville preschool, Kids Expanding the Kingdom, also shared its condolences, saying, “Our thoughts are with this mother and our staff during this devastating time,” in a post on social media.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it is working alongside several agencies to search for the child, using all resources “including SONAR and Aviation Unit helicopters.”
No one aboard the vessel was reportedly wearing lifejackets when the boat capsized. The investigation into what caused the boat to flip continues.
Anyone with information that could assist in the search for the missing child is urged to contact Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville at 904-714-7558.
