Missing Portland man ID’d as person whose body was recovered from Columbia River

Authorities have confirmed the identity of the person whose body was recovered from the Columbia River on Wednesday as 57-year-old Antonio Amaro Lopez. His family has been notified.

Amaro Lopez had been missing since Sunday evening when his 2006 Subaru Tribeca lost control and went over the side of the Interstate 205 Bridge.

The Southeast Portland man had left his job at his family’s Hazel Dell restaurant at about 5 p.m. to drive home. Shortly after, witnesses said they saw a maroon SUV traveling south go over the side of the bridge that connects Oregon and Washington, according to The Oregonian.

Though police say the cause of the crash is under investigation, family told The Oregonian they believe Amaro Lopez hit a sheet of ice and crashed into a snow embankment along the guardrail, going up and over. That weekend had experienced one of the biggest winter storms the area has seen in years.

The Multnomah County, Ore., Sheriff’s Office River Patrol Unit deputies had been conducting sonar scans on the Columbia River under the bridge. Divers located the vehicle and recovered Amaro Lopez’s body from it Wednesday.

The Portland Police Bureau said Thursday plans are underway to recover the Subaru from the river.

“The Portland Police Bureau is grateful to all who assisted with the response to this incident, especially the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office for their extensive search efforts,” the agency said in a news release.

Anyone with information about the crash should contact Portland Police Officer Garrett Dow at Garrett.Dow@portlandoregon.gov or at 503-823-5070.