Car of missing woman found in creek
Crews spotted what turned out to be one of the vehicle’s tires
FREMONT — A coordinated search by multiple agencies for a missing woman has located her car, which plunged off Niles Canyon Road into Alameda Creek over the weekend.
The search was temporarily suspended Monday due to a fast-moving current and high water, according to authorities, who confirmed it was the missing woman’s car.
Crews spotted what turned out to be one of the tires on the car driven by a missing 18-year-old Tracy woman, but they can’t reach it until the water level is lower, Alameda County sheriff’s Sgt. Ray Kelly said.
The car came to rest about 100 yards from the crash and was swept downstream before being found upside-down on the creek bed, he said.
Kelly said experts believe the car should stay put until divers enter the river and attach cables and a winch to haul it out.
Hydrologists assessing the creek have said there shouldn’t be any issues with limiting flows from Calaveras and Del Valle reservoirs, and that Alameda Creek flows that were around 2,200 cubic feet per second should be down around 1,200 by the time divers go in Tuesday morning.
The driver apparently veered off the road about 10:45 a.m. Saturday and was presumed drowned, as surging waters stymied rescue attempts.
The woman’s name has not been released, but several family members were on hand as searchers gathered at the creek Monday morning.
“It shows how important it is to help families in times of crisis and go get their loved ones,” Kelly said. “We’ll stop at nothing to go get this person. If it’s your family, you want the same time of response that this family is getting.”
Niles Canyon Road was closed at 10 a.m. Monday for the search but reopened at 3 p.m., Fremont police said. The road will be closed in both directions again between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Tuesday morning when the recovery resumes, Kelly said.
Crews were working with water officials from San Francisco Water Power Sewer and the state Department of Water Resources to reduce the flows from Del Valle and Calaveras reservoirs.
“A lot goes into turning off the water, a lot of accountability and mapping and analysis,” Kelly said of the level of coordination with the state Department of Water Resources, the East Bay Regional Park District, San Francisco Water Power Sewer and other agencies. “We’re used to shutting down freeways and airports, but it’s rare that we’ve had to do something like this.”
Once the water level is lowered, they will use a boat to reach the vehicle, attach cables and use tow trucks to pull it out, Kelly said.
Authorities are asking pedestrians and motorists to refrain from parking along the roadway and from looking for the submerged vehicle.