A crane resumed dredging operations on the Columbia River on Friday in an attempt to extract a station wagon believed to have belonged to an Oregon family of five who vanished nearly seven decades ago while searching for Christmas greenery. The search for the Martin family captured national attention, prompting speculation about foul play and offering a $1,000 reward for information on their disappearance.
Salvage efforts were briefly halted Thursday evening before resuming early Friday. Officials hoped to retrieve the vehicle by the afternoon, but progress was impeded by mud covering much of the car. Last fall, diver Archer Mayo, aided by his representative Ian Costello, located the station wagon believed to belong to Ken and Barbara Martin after a seven-year search. Mayo discovered the car upside-down approximately 50 feet deep, obscured by mud, salmon remnants, silt, and mussel shells.
“This discovery marks a significant breakthrough in a case that has lingered in Portland’s collective memory for 66 years,” stated Costello to The Associated Press. Several other cars were found in proximity to the station wagon, necessitating their removal before the primary vehicle could be retrieved from the river, revealed Costello. Hood River County sheriff’s deputy Pete Hughes confirmed the identification of one car and noted the presence of an unidentified Volkswagen nearby.
The Martins, accompanied by their daughters Barbara, Virginia, and Sue, set out on December 7, 1958, to gather Christmas greenery in the mountains. Tragically, they never returned. Following a trail of Ken Martin’s credit card usage at a gas station near Cascade Locks, authorities focused their search efforts. Suspicions emerged that the family’s red and white station wagon might have veered into an isolated canyon or river, as reported by the AP.
The youngest daughter’s body, Sue, was discovered in a Columbia River slough five months after their disappearance, while Virginia’s remains were found upstream the following day. Despite extensive searches, the other family members remained missing. Don, the Martins’ son and a Marine veteran, expressed his belief to the AP that his family had perished.
The recovery operation, spearheaded by Mayo, aims to unveil the mysteries concealed within the sunken vehicle. Encased in mud and debris, the car’s true contents remain unknown until it is successfully retrieved from the water. Mayo, known for his river salvage business, has contributed to this poignant chapter in the Martin family saga.
Costello mentioned that the device not only serves purposes like tracking watches and rings but also aids in the rescue of drowning victims. In his search for a research vessel that went down in 2017, he came across information about the Martin family. Mayo then delved into researching the family and utilized modeling techniques to identify the potential location.
