Finally Found: Missing Family’s Ford Station Wagon Spotted In River 66 Years Later

A diver in Oregon believes he’s finally found the Ford station wagon belonging to the Martin family, who vanished almost seven decades ago in 1958. Buried under silt and other debris at the bottom of the Columbia River, and blocked by other sunken cars, it will take time for authorities to remove the 1954 Ford Ranch Wagon and verify if it indeed belonged to the Martins.

Car dealer claims he was extorted, then kidnapped by a Mexican cartel.

That diver, Archer Mayo, has been hunting down the Martins’ station wagon in the river for seven years. When he finally found what he believes to be the right vehicle, he collected part of the tag number, as well as other identifying information from the submerged ride.

Based on that, authorities descended in the area of Cascade Locks, bringing a barge with a crane to lift the Ford station wagon out of the river. It’s currently 50 feet down with at least two other cars nearby that have to be removed first.

According to reports, the Martin family was driving in the Columbia River Gorge on a Sunday while searching for Christmas “greenery” we presume to decorate their home. A credit card transaction was the only indication to authorities of their approximate location as the father, mother, and three daughters disappeared in their Ford without a trace.

Two of the daughters’ bodies were found in the Columbia River in the months after the family’s disappearance, but their parents and the third daughter remained missing, adding to the mystery.

The Martins’ adult son, who was serving in the Navy at the time, told the media after his family went missing that he believed they were in fact dead.

 Some think the Martins accidentally drove into the river, but others have felt there was foul play involved. Perhaps the Ranch Wagon will contain evidence to help bring closure to a case that’s haunted some people in Oregon for decades.

Sources: KOIN 6, AP

Image via KOIN 6/YouTube