Diver Archer Mayo shares updates on the Martin family disappearance
After the discovery of remains in a car in the Columbia River, the
Martin family disappearance is being looked at with new eyes.
Diver Archer Mayo joined AM Extra to talk about his discovery and what it means for the case.
A diver says he found human remains in a Columbia River car believed to belong to the Martin family that disappeared in 1958, but authorities haven't confirmed it.
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Human remains found in car could be those of missing 1958 Portland family, diver says
A diver says he found human remains, along with physical evidence that connects them to
a Portland family who disappeared in 1958, in a vehicle discovered in the Columbia River. Authorities have not confirmed the discovery.
Archer Mayo, of White Salmon, said he found the remains and conclusive physical evidence tying them to the Martin family during summer dives exploring what was left of the vehicle, according to a statement he issued Sunday.
For the past seven years, diver and amateur investigator Mayo has used his own time and equipment to search for the Martin family, relying on old photos and maps to guide him.
"I discovered this pit under the canal that was not remembered in history," said Mayo. "I found that in a photograph of them building the canal, and so then I realized, that's where the car ended up."
In November of 2024, Mayo said he discovered the car in the approximately 83,000 cubic foot canal pit, which is nearly the size of an Olympic-size swimming pool.
"There could be 225 cars in that pit," he said. "They would fit."
He said the car was upside-down and wedged in sediment and chunks of wood with its hood reaching about 60 feet down to the bottom of the canal.
Mayo has been independently searching for the family's vehicle since 2018, funding the research project himself. He located the car in fall 2024 hidden in what he described as an architectural anomaly under 60 feet of water and seven feet of debris in the Cascade Locks canal.
The Hood River County Sheriff's Office conducted
an operation in March 2025 to remove the car from the river. The sheriff's office successfully retrieved
a portion of the vehicle on March 7 but
suspended further recovery efforts due to the challenges presented in attempting to recover more of the vehicle.
The chassis or supporting frame of the car was taken to a secure facility and processed, according to a Hood River County Sheriff's Office press release from March. After comparing serial numbers to Ford Motor Company records, investigators determined what was recovered belonged to a 1954 Ford 4-door station wagon, and small bits of vehicle body still attached to the chassis matched the color of the Martin family vehicle.
During subsequent summer dives, Mayo said he uncovered the human remains and evidence within what was left of the car. He first discovered what he believes are Barbara's and Ken's remains on Aug. 19.
"I feel good, this is a win," he said, "but it's a win in comparison to the sadness of what happened."
Mayo said he's not sure if any of the remains he's found belong to the Martin family's 14-year-old daughter, who was also reportedly in the vehicle.
During our visit to the canal Monday, Mayo said he had just recovered what he believed to be Barbara's shoe and more remains. However, this was one of his final dives. He said he plans to pull up his equipment due to the increased danger.
He said he has passed along all of the remains and other items he has recovered to the Hood River County Sheriff's Office, which still considers this an open investigation. A spokesperson declined to comment on possible remains being recovered.
That material has been turned over to investigators, according to the media release.
