The divers retrieved part of the 1954 station wagon. Submerged in the Columbia River in Oregon, it is possible that it belonged to a family of five who disappeared just before Christmas in 1958.
The Martins, who lived in Portland, drove into the Columbia River Valley that December, sought Christmas greenery to decorate their homes. Reported in Oregon.
Authorities conducted an extensive search for Martins, and involved local media speculating on foul play. This incident attracted the attention of the public.
A few months later, the bodies of two youngest members of the Martin family, Susan, 11, 13, of Virginia, were found floating down the river.
Three other ruins, Father Kenneth, 54, Mother Barbara, 48, and her eldest son, Barbara Lee, 14, were never found.
The remains of the station wagon were discovered by divers in February. At the bottom of the huge underwater pit he had been looking for for years, he was convinced that was where the family was finished.
Part of the vehicle was pulled out of the water by officials on Friday, according to Oregonians. Decades ago metal began to collapse as it was lifted to its surface.
Officials couldn't find the human remains inside the car, and said the car was largely filled with rocks.
The car's chassis and motor were recovered Friday, and officials suspect it belongs to the Martin family, but they certainly don't know until they find the VIN number.
The Oregonian reported that the car was found in 2018 by local diver Archer Mayo, interested in a decades-old case, which had an impact on exploring dives on the Columbia River.
Eventually, on the Cascade Rock Canal, he stumbles into a large section of the river bottom filled with debris. He recognized the section as a huge hole left from the construction of the canal, and was convinced that the car had landed there and had not been discovered for decades.
Authorities did not say whether they were attempting to retrieve the remaining vehicles.
