Kern County teen who disappeared underwater in Oregon river found dead

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN/KGET) — The body of a 13-year-old boy from Kern County who disappeared underwater in Oregon’s Willamette River on Sunday night has been found.

Gregorio Maximiano-Solano, of Delano, had been presumed drowned after a three-day-long search yielded no clues about his whereabouts. The Independence Police Department confirmed that the boy died and his body was found in Keizer Rapids Park.

“My heart is, and has been, with the Solano family these past several days,” said Independence Police Chief Robert Mason in a statement. “My hope is our community can transition into a place of healing now that Gregorio has been found.”

The family of the boy told KOIN 6 News on Tuesday that they were hoping to find his body to return it to his home in Delano and find closure.

Soon after he went missing, a rescue effort went underway by Independence police. After more than a day passed, that transformed into a recovery mission, with the assistance of the Linn County dive team and both the Multnomah and Polk County sheriff’s offices.

Maximiano-Solano had disappeared while playing in the Willamette near Riverview Park, officials said.

On Friday, the Polk County medical examiner ruled the boy’s death an accidental drowning.

A fundraiser on GoFundMe has been set up to support Maximiano-Solano’s family.

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