Woman safe after being rescued from Guadalupe River current

A 41-year-old Hispanic woman who had been reported missing by her family earlier in the day is lucky to be alive after being rescued from the Guadalupe River near the Water Street (US 183) bridge adjacent to Independence Park on Wednesday evening, Sept. 4.

The name of the woman is being held at this time due to the nature and circumstances of this rescue effort by first responders.

Lt. Jason Montoya of the Gonzales Police Department told the Inquirer officers initially had responded to a call at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 3 at Independence Park about a female running around and acting in “a concerning manner.”

A caller to 911 indicated the female was last seen going towards the RV spots but had not been seen or heard from since that time. Officers then searched the area, but were unable to locate the female. However, officers did discover a vehicle that was left secured in the park and, based on the registration of the vehicle, were able to get a possible identity for the woman.

The next day, on Sept. 4, officers were contacted by a couple who said they had not heard from their daughter and wanted to report her missing. The individual named by the couple was the same as that of the registered owner of the vehicle left at the park.

Officers went to the RV spots across from the Independence Park golf course in an attempt to locate the female. When they approached the river, the officers heard someone yelling for help. They then observed a female in the river, holding onto a branch. The current in the Guadalupe River has been deadly in the past as there have been several drownings near that location.

Police radioed for Gonzales EMS and Rescue, who responded to the scene and were able to retrieve the woman to the safety of the river bank, after which she was placed into an EMS vehicle and transported to Gonzales Memorial Hospital for evaluation and treatment. She was identified as the same woman who had been in the park the day before and had been reported as missing by her family.

There is no further information at this time.