James Ashley Bawayan, 36, was with family and friends at a familiar camping spot they've returned to for the past four years, according to his cousin Karla Bacayan.
"This has been a spot they've been coming to yearly," said Bacayan. "They have a designated area they always go to."
Around 8 p.m. on Saturday, Bawayan jumped from a rock into the river near Black Gulch, something several others had done just before him. But unlike previous times, he leapt closer to the current to avoid the people already in the water below.
"He has done this multiple times, and the current always took him back to the campsite lagoon," Bacayan said. "Unfortunately, this time the current took him under."
Bawayan did not resurface.
The Kern County Sheriff's Office initially launched a search-and-rescue operation. As days passed with no sign of Bawayan, the effort has now shifted to a recovery mission.
Family, friends and even co-workers have traveled to the area to assist in the search.
"He has the biggest personality," said one family member. "It matches the amount of support we are receiving."
It's been nearly a week since Bawayan went missing. His family is now calling for additional help from professionals.
"Things that we need that can really, really help us in our search are experienced divers," Bacayan said. "And to see if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can reduce the output from the Isabella Dam to lower the water level of the river."
The family hopes that by lowering the water level, crews may be able to locate and recover Bawayan's body.
Bawayan worked as a surgical technician at Kaiser Permanente in Riverside. He had just attended a cousin's wedding the day before the trip to the river.
The family is posting updates on an Instagram and Facebook pages dedicated to finding Bawayan.