Priscila Alvares Pereira Dos Santos, 33, was found dead Tuesday morning in the Delaware River after she disappeared while helping a young girl who was struggling in the water at Amico Island Park. Her body was located about 20 feet from the beach, ending an overnight search that began after she went underwater during the rescue.
The incident started shortly before 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, when Delran police were called to the park at 81 Norman Ave. for reports of two possible drowning victims. Investigators determined that Priscila had entered the river to help the girl.
Priscila reached the child and pushed her toward the shore. People standing nearby were then able to pull the girl from the water. The rescue effort had saved the child from the immediate danger, but Priscila went underwater during the attempt and failed to resurface.
Emergency crews began searching the river soon after. The operation involved Delran police and firefighters, the Delran Emergency Squad, New Jersey State Police, the Camden County dive team and Philadelphia police. The search centered around the area where Rancocas Creek meets the Delaware River.
The conditions in the river also became part of the search challenge. Delran Fire Department Deputy Chief Kevin Peak said the tide was moving out when reports came in that Priscila was submerged. He noted that river currents can pull people under in much the same way strong currents can affect swimmers in the ocean.
Search crews kept working into Monday night, but the operation was suspended around 9:45 p.m. It resumed about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday as a recovery effort. Drones were deployed at about 6:45 a.m., giving crews another way to scan the water and nearby areas.
About an hour and a half later, at roughly 8:15 a.m., Priscila’s body was located about 20 feet off the beach at Amico Island Park. Authorities then recovered her from the water. The park remained closed Tuesday as police and other agencies continued their work.
Police said the death was not believed to be suspicious. The investigation is still underway, and the Burlington County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy. Authorities have not released an official cause of death.
What happened at Amico Island Park was a rescue that turned tragic in a matter of moments. A girl who had been struggling in the Delaware River was brought safely to shore after Priscila pushed her toward waiting bystanders. Priscila did not make it back.
The search that followed stretched through the night and into Tuesday morning before crews found her. For those who knew Priscila, the circumstances of her death leave behind both grief and the knowledge that her final actions were focused on getting a child out of danger.
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