On Wednesday, April 30, authorities retrieved a body from the Willamette River near Port of Portland Terminal 4, marking the fifth body found in local waterways within a span of less than three weeks. The discovery was made around 5:30 p.m., approximately one mile north of the St. John’s Bridge, according to Deputy John Plock of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s river patrol unit was responsible for recovering the body and subsequently transferring it to the medical examiner’s office, where officials will work to identify the deceased and ascertain the cause of death. Prior to this incident, three bodies were recovered from the Willamette River in north Portland between April 13 and April 18, and one was found in the Columbia River near Hayden Island on April 24. The identity of the body found near Hayden Island remains unknown.
Following the April 24 discovery, Deputy Plock remarked that the recent uptick in bodies found in the rivers is not unusual. He noted that various factors contribute to such discoveries, with the frequency often increasing during warmer weather.
As temperatures rise, so do river temperatures, which can hasten the decomposition process and lead to bodies surfacing more readily. Moreover, the increase in recreational activities on the river during nicer weather enhances the likelihood of bodies being spotted.
In a related ongoing effort, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office is utilizing boats and drones to search the river for 20-year-old Marcelus Angelo Rodriguez, who went missing while kayaking on April 12. Reports indicate that Rodriguez jumped from his kayak in distress before being swept over Willamette Falls near West Linn and Oregon City. Search and Rescue teams located his kayak the following day at Elk Rock Island near Milwaukie; however, no new evidence has been discovered since that time.
