Man mourns wife who died after being trapped in flooded car in Forestville

Thursday, January 12, 2023

Husband mourns death of wife found in submerged car in North Bay

Marcellino Fontino is devastated by the death of his wife, Daphne, who was found in her car, submerged in flood waters in Forestville Wednesday.

FORESTVILLE, Calif. (KGO) -- Marcellino Fontino is devastated by the death of his wife, Daphne.

"I miss her so much," Fontino said, crying. "She was such an amazing person. Anybody would have loved her."

The 43-year-old Ukiah resident was heading to work Tuesday when she got stuck in flood waters from the storms in Northern California.

Fontino is the second storm-related death being reported in Sonoma County.

Officials say a woman was found dead in a submerged car in Sonoma County after crews had been searching for her since Tuesday morning.

Last week, a 2-year-old boy died when trees fell on his house.

Daphne had called 911, according to Misti Wood of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.

"When she called, she was calling for help," Wood said. "The water was going over the hood of her car at that point, and we lost connection with her on that 911 call. We tried to call her back and we weren't able to make contact."

Crews started a search for Daphne in the Forestville area. The next day, they found her inside her car, which was submerged in about eight-to-10 feet of water.

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"The officers came and knocked on the door to tell me that my wife had passed away," Marcellino Fontino said. "She had drowned. When they told me, I couldn't believe it."

Daphne leaves behind three children, ranging in age from 10 through 14.

Her husband said she transported medical patients to appointments and where they needed to go and that she was on her way to pick up a client.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help her family with funeral expenses.

MORE: Tips to Survive: How to escape a sinking car