Stanley Becerra, III

Stanley Becerra III rescued Melanie Caligiuri and a girl from drowning, Tracy, California, October 10, 2023. Caligiuri, 46, and her 5-year-old daughter struggled to swim amid fast-moving, cold water in the San Joaquin River after their sport utility vehicle left the road and submerged about 50 feet from the riverbank. A dairy worker and his friend were driving on the bridge nearby when they saw Caligiuri and her daughter struggling in the water. The dairy worker ran down an embankment and swam about 50 feet to Caligiuri and the girl, at which point he moved them about 5 feet toward the bank before he submerged. Becerra, 23, laborer, was driving west on the bridge with coworkers when he saw the dairy worker run the down the embankment. He and his coworkers made a U-turn at the end of the bridge and drove back to the embankment the dairy worker had descended. Becerra exited the vehicle and ran to the water’s edge, where he removed his clothes and entered the water. Becerra swam about 45 feet to Caligiuri and the girl, where he attempted to move them both back to the bank, but their combined weight forced him to release Caligiuri and swim the daughter back alone. Becerra swam about 45 feet to the bank, where the dairy worker’s friend helped him carry the daughter to safety. Becerra briefly gathered himself, while his coworkers scanned the water for Caligiuri, who had submerged while Becerra was shuttling the girl to the riverbank. They spotted Caligiuri closer to the bank downstream. Becerra ran about 25 feet around a patch of trees and brush and reentered the water, where he waded about 15 feet to Caligiuri before towing her back to the bank. The group began CPR on Caligiuri until responding emergency personnel arrived and assumed control of the scene. Caligiuri was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was placed in the intensive care unit; she died six days later. The girl was unharmed. The dairy worker’s body was recovered by police a day later about 300 feet north of where he submerged; he had drowned. Becerra suffered no ill effects.