MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (WTHR) - Indiana Conservation Officers located the fifth victim after a boat capsized in the White River on Labor Day.
Antonio Sanchez-Maldonado, 32, of Indianapolis was located just downstream from where the boat capsized in Morgan County.
Sanchez-Maldonado is the fifth and final victim of the boating accident on Sept. 2. He was not in the boat, according to Conservation officers, but came off the shore to help when the boat capsized.
The other victims first pulled from the water Labor Day night were 73-year-old Emilia Villegas, who was in the United States on a visa from Mexico, and six-year-old Amisadai Elel Conchas.
Officers later recovered the bodies of 63-year-old Niseforo Sanchez, also in the U.S. on a visa from Mexico, and 40-year-old Rigoberto Conchas of Indianapolis.
The first call came in to police around 9:30 p.m. Monday on a report of a boat that capsized.
"They jumped, they scared. You know? When the boat starts going down, they jump. And the river just took them," said family friend Lyman Bothwell.
Lt. Angela Goldman with Indiana DNR said seven people were on the boat at the time, and people on shore went in to try and help. In total, there were 16 people involved.
"It is moving fairly well. Its deceiving. So by looking at it, it looks like it's moving slowly, but you get in it and you realize quickly how strong it is," said Indiana DNR Capt. Jet Quillen.
"We had a family and friends who were down on the river at Three Rivers Public Access Area, they were boating, they were having a good time, the boat capsized," Goldman said before the bodies were found Tuesday. "Most of them were able to get out of the river but we are still looking for 3 of them."
While the area is not extremely deep, there are pockets that dip down and the terrain is a little rough.
"It is important to remember that if you want to enjoy Indiana’s lakes, rivers and streams that water can be deceiving. What appears to be a slow moving river can have strong currents underneath. If you are boating on the water, be familiar with your watercraft and know it’s limitations and always wear a life jacket," Indiana DNR said in a release Tuesday.
The group is also Spanish-speaking, which complicated rescue efforts until a translator could be brought in to help.
A GoFundMe page has been created to help the family with funeral expenses.