INDEPENDENCE, Ore — A multiday search-turned-recovery mission for a teen who went missing while playing in the Willamette River at Riverview Park ended Thursday after the teen's body was found, according to the Independence Police Department.
The teen, identified as 13-year-old Gregorio Maximiano-Solano of California, was found dead north of Independence at Keizer Rapids Park. Both Independence police detectives and the Polk County medical examiner were on scene, Independence police said.
On Saturday, July 7, around 5:07 p.m., Polk County Fire District No. 1 and Independence police responded to reports of a teen who disappeared underwater.
A Linn County dive team searched the river on the evening of July 7, and dive teams from Multnomah and Lane counties along with the US Coast Guard joined the effort Monday morning. Riverview Park was closed during the search.
KGW spoke with Gregorio's cousin, Geronimo Serapio, as he described how friends, volunteers and even family from California came to Riverview Park to help with the search.
While talking with Serapio, he described Gregorio as upbeat.
"He was nice; he was playful," Serapio said, while shedding tears. "Sometimes, he would mess around too much, but he was joyful!"
About 24 hours after he went missing, the search for Gregorio transitioned into a recovery mission after the dive teams were unsuccessful in finding him, according to the Independence Police Department.
The recovery mission was conducted mainly through boat patrols along the Willamette River.
In a statement, the Independence Police Chief expressed his condolences and said he hopes that the discovery of Gregorio's body can bring healing to his family.
“My heart is, and has been, with the Solano family these past several days,” shared Independence Police Chief Robert Mason. “My hope is our community can transition into a place of healing now that Gregorio has been found.”
The family has started a GoFundMe; anyone looking to support Gregorio's family can do so here.