‘Died a hero’: Man tries to save girlfriend from drowning near national park, family says

**Related Video Above: Swimming safety information

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (WJW) — A couple died last week just outside a popular California national park.

The pair — who were identified as Monica Ledesma, 34, and James Hall, 35, by the Madera County Sheriff’s Office via FOX News Digital — were found in the waters near Angel Falls not far from Yosemite National Park.

Officials were first called to the park last Wednesday morning for reports an “unresponsive female” was in the water. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office said in a report the woman was declared dead on scene.

Search and rescue efforts led officials to believe a man was missing as well, and he was eventually recovered.

The cause of their deaths were not announced.

“Our hearts go out to the families of those who were lost at Angel Falls today,” Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue said in a statement. “I applaud the efforts of the rescue and recovery teams, who performed their duties diligently and respectfully.”

The sheriff’s office also reminded people to be careful while hiking around slippery rocks.

“The water is extremely swift and deadly cold,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Warm air temperatures do not mean warm water temperatures. Cold water can very quickly remove heat from the body and lead to a loss of movement in the limbs.”

Hall’s family said in a GoFundMe campaign that he “died a hero trying to save his girlfriend” explaining “unfortunately, they both were taken from us.”

In another GoFundMe , Ledesma was remembered as a “loving mother, sister and daughter.” She reportedly leaves behind two children.

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