A car found in a river is believed to belong to an Oregon family who went missing nearly 70 years ago, according to local authorities

The case of the Martin family’s disappearance has bewildered local residents and investigators for more than six decades — until Friday.

The Hood River County Sheriff's Office believes they've found a vehicle connected to the 1958 case of the Martin Family.

Barbara and Ken Martin and their three daughters left their Oregon home in their Ford Station Wagon in 1958. However, they vanished off the face of the Earth. Speculation swirled if the family had accidentally driven into the river near where they were last seen.

A small crowd of spectators and journalists gathered at the viewpoint at Washington State Historical Marker 19 on Friday to watch a long-awaited moment: the recovery of the car that was believed to be carrying the Martin family when they disappeared in the Columbia River Gorge decades ago.

The Martin family, who lived in Portland, disappeared after driving to the Columbia River Gorge that December, in search of Christmas greenery to decorate their home, reported The Oregonian.

Investigators in Oregon are searching for identification numbers on a car that was likely sitting at the bottom of a river for 66 years. The Hood River County Sheriff believes it belongs to the Martin family.