Crews searching for woman in St. Joseph River

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Search and recovery crews are looking for a woman who went into the St. Joseph River around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.


Tyrone Sims watched as his cousin, 25 year old Yolanda Anderson, got swept away into the strong currents of the St Joseph River.



Sims remembers the last few moments he had with his cousin before she disappeared in the water.



"We turned around to get a cigarette lighter and the next thing I know this young lady walked up and say she in the water just a minute or two after I turned my back," said Sims.



Indiana conservation officers scoured the river for hours using side scan sonar to search for Anderson.



They are not using divers because of the current.


"It's a pretty strong current, I mean, pretty much we're not going to put any divers in unless we actually see a body," said South Bend Battalion Chief Nick Teklar.


Sims is worried about Anderson's children.



"She's got 3 beautiful children older than 6 and she has one that's turning 1 years old," said Sims.



While investigators are calling this disappearance an accident, Sims says their family is not ruling out foul play.



"It looked like she was pushed out too far and couldn't hold on or grab nothing," said Sims.



Sims says there was just one other woman down by the water with Anderson when she fell in. He said that woman went to taco bell instead of helping to search for Anderson.



"So you can go sit down and eat a meal and my cousin lost her life? Something not right here," said Sims.

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