Bend dive search team finds car in Columbia River; body recovered, identified

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A dive team from Bend found human remains inside a vehicle submerged in the Columbia River at the base of the Glenn Jackson Bridge, which runs between Oregon and Washington, police said.

The body was recovered on Wednesday, and Portland police on Thursday identified it as belonging to 57-year-old Antonio Amaro-Lopez of Portland. His family has been notified and plans are underway to recover the car from the water, police said.

The discovery comes days after a car reportedly went off the Glenn Jackson Bridge during a winter storm. There has been no confirmation that this is the same vehicle. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The break in the search came Wednesday afternoon by a private search crew that travels the country solving underwater mysteries, KOIN reported.

“We found the car for the sheriff,” said Jared Leisek of Adventures with Purpose. He traveled from Bend to search using sonar.

“Reading sonar is an art,” he said. “If you don’t read sonar every day, you can miss things.”

Leisek said the crew did two passes and found the car practically underneath the bridge. The car was upside down in the river.

Amaro-Lopez texted his family at around 5 p.m. Sunday to let them know he was on his way home from work, but didn’t make it home, his daughter, Abi Amaro said.