Deputies use helicopters, rafts to search for missing Bonita Springs mother

The search continues for a missing Bonita Springs woman, authorities say.

Neighbors on Oakland Drive are concerned after 42-year-old mother Maria Gomez went missing over 24 hours ago.

Lee County Sheriff’s deputies sectioned off a larger area of the neighborhood where Gomez was last seen leaving her house around 8 p.m. Wednesday. Multiple units have been working in tandem to try to locate her.

Deputies say Gomez left her home and never returned.

“We had just pulled over and we saw…we thought a tree fell down and we saw the yellow tape so we don’t really know what’s going on,” said one guest of a nearby hotel in the area.

Deputies pulled a raft out of a patrol car to search the nearby Imperial River Thursday.

“I hope that she’s okay, really, because that’s really bad to lose someone and not know what happened to them. I really hope she’s safe,” said another hotel guest.

The neighborhood is currently blocked off while deputies continue to investigate what might have happened. They’re also not saying whether they think there’s any sort of foul play involved, or if Gomez might be in danger. They’ll only comment that she remains missing.