(NewsNation) — A volunteer diver in California has found the bodies of 15 people after answering a mother’s plea to recover the body of her son.

Juan Heredia’s recovery work began in March 2024, when he helped recover the body of 15-year-old Xavier Martinez, who disappeared after jumping into a river behind his school in Stockton, California, six days earlier. As a father, the scuba instructor tells People magazine, he offered to help search for the boy after meeting Martinez’s mother. Within 30 minutes of entering the water, Heredia found the boy.

“He was like an angel,” Heredia told the outlet. “Something I never expected to see.”

Heredia was honored for his actions with a 2024 Key to the City Award and says requests for help haven’t stopped since, prompting him and his family to start the nonprofit Angels Recovery Dive Team. Since 2024, Heredia has found the bodies of 15 people across 10 sites in California and Oregon, according to People magazine.

The most recent recovery took place this month in Monterey County, California. NewsNation affiliate KRON reports the body of a 7-year-old child was recovered after she was swept out to sea by a large wave.

Heredia’s website notes that the nonprofit runs on donations and is dedicated to helping families navigate search and recovery efforts with compassion.

“I remember every single name and every single place of every single son and daughter I’ve found,” Heredia told People.