Dark secret of stunning Oregon county revealed after shocking discovery in river
Officials revealed they have discovered a staggering number of bodies across several gorgeous Oregon rivers - and shared the tragic reason they believe those people died.
On Monday, Multnomah County authorities announced they had recovered at total of eight bodies from the Willamette and Columbia Rivers since April 1.
'The number is not unusual, though it is tragic,' the Multnomah County Sherriff's Office said.
While the medical examiner is still investigating their cause and manner of death, police believe the victims took their own lives or accidentally drowned.
'However, the majority of the eight bodies recovered this April and May are the result of drowning caused by suicide,' the sheriff's office said.
Multnomah County is the smallest county in Oregon, with only 465 square miles and a population of 789,698, and is known for its lush forest and stunning waterfalls.
It attracts tourists with its plethora of outdoor activities from hiking and rafting to kayaking - but authorities are warning the waters can be treacherous.
On Sunday, the body of missing kayaker Marcelus Angelo Rodriguez, 20, was pulled from the Willamette River.
Rodriguez went missing on April 12 and was last seen in 'distress,' according to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.
'A short time later, witnesses stated the individual, a lone adult male, was seen going over the falls and did not resurface,' police said.
Two weeks later, police said, '[they received] reports of a body found along the shore of the Willamette River, just north of Meldrum Bar Park in Gladstone.
'Deputies quickly responded to the location and observed the body in a difficult to reach location along the shoreline.
'The Marine Unit was able to access the location using boats and recover Marcelus.'
Rodriguez's family put out a statement warning others to be cautious while out on the water.
'We, the family of Marcelus Angelo Rodriguez, are truly devastated by the tragic event that unfolded this past Saturday in the Willamette Falls area, and we would not wish this experience on anyone,' they said.
'We would like to first warn others to always be aware of their surroundings and to NEVER enter this river without wearing a life jacket or, at the very least, exercising extreme caution, as the forces of nature can quickly become overwhelming and deadly.'
The Multnomah County sheriff's office discovered another body on Saturday in the Columbia River near the 18500 block of Northeast Marine Drive, reported OregonLive.
The person appeared to have died from an accidental drowning after they fell from a dock earlier in the day, police said.
Officials said there is no reason to believe there is any suspicious activity nor any connections between the bodies.
It is not uncommon for an increase in discovers along the water during the spring, according to the sheriff's office.
Police attribute the findings to increasing water temperature, water currents and increase water activity as reasons why more remains are discovered.
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