Family Last Seen 68 Yrs Ago Near WA Border Found In Sunken Car

Diving crews from Washington State and Oregon continue salvage efforts in a portion of the Columbia River that separates the two states for remains of a family and car that disappeared in 1958.

A major breakthrough in the missing persons case happened 10 months ago when a diver located a sunken automobile upstream from the Bridge of the Gods that connects Washington State and Oregon, near the city of Cascade Locks.

The Martin Family Disappearance is a story that haunted this region of the western United States for nearly 70 years. While the ending isn't one most people would consider happy, the case of married couple Kenneth and Barbara, and their three young daughters Susan, Virginia, and 'Barbie,' has been resolved and relatives and the community can begin the healing process.

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One Of Oregon's Oldest Missing Persons Cases Has Been Solved By A Diver

The family of five went missing just before Christmas in 1958. Multiple witnesses saw them at stops on both the Washington and Oregon sides of the Columbia River in the hours prior to them vanishing. Sadly, how the family ended up underwater will forever remain a mystery.

Two of the family members were found floating in the river days after their automobile went missing, but what happened to the others and the car remained a mystery until a few months ago, according to the Columbia Gorge News. A veteran diver named Archer Mayo helped crack the case after confirming the discovery of the lost vehicle.

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Divers continue to locate evidence of the tragedy in the form of possessions and parts of the car, but some of the family remains will likely stay in the Columbia River for years to come.