Young mother, 30, missing after jumping into California river to save her drowning 11-year-old daughter

A young mother is missing after she dived into a river to rescue her daughter and niece, but never made it back to shore.

Brenda Duran, 30, was with her family by the San Joaquin River in Newman, California, on Thursday night when the children started struggling.

She and her 14-year-old son jumped in to the river about 6.30pm on Thursday and managed to get her 11-year-old daughter and niece to safety.

'While attempting to help her daughter, Duran also struggled to stay afloat,' the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office said.

Brenda Duran, 30, is missing after she dived into a river to rescue her daughter and niece, but never made it back to shore

Police from several towns used divers, drones, and helicopters to scour the area while family looked on kayaks, paddleboards, and on foot

'Duran’s son and daughter safely made it out of the river, but Duran did not. The two juveniles were immediately given medical attention by ambulance personnel at the scene.'

Duran never resurfaced and hours of searching on Thursday night and again on Friday found no trace of her.

Police from several towns used divers, drones, and helicopters to scour the area while family looked on kayaks, paddleboards, and on foot.

'She's a very thriving person, always smiling, never giving up and very compassionate,' her husband Jamie Aguilar said

The search was paused at 11pm that night due to safety and visibility concerns but picked up again on Friday and Saturday mornings

The search was paused at 11pm that night due to safety and visibility concerns but picked up again on Friday and Saturday mornings.

'She's a very thriving person, always smiling, never giving up and very compassionate,' her husband Jamie Aguilar told KCRA.

'I wouldn't want anyone to go through this... the cousins have been searching for more than 12 hours.'