Police have recovered the body of a man who had been missing since a car crashed into the Willamette River at Waterfront Park on April 6. They’ve identified him as 20-year-old Jakob Esperum, of Beavercreek, Oregon.
Caution tape and a city vehicle block off the scene of the car crash into the Willamette River in Portland, Ore., on April 6, 2026.
Eli Imadali / OPB
One of the occupants of the car, a 17-year-old male, was rescued after the crash early that morning. Multnomah County dive crews recovered the bodies of two more occupants later in the day and announced that a fourth occupant was still missing.
Police have not released the name of the survivor. But on Thursday they identified the deceased as 19-year-old Roberto C. Garcia-Chavez and 17-year-old Trent Badillo, also both from Beavercreek. Investigators believe Garcia-Chavez had been driving the car when it went through Waterfront Park and into the river.
At about 11:20 a.m. on Sunday, emergency dispatchers got a call from someone who saw a body in the river, near the site of the crash. Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office crews responded and recovered the body.
Police announced on Tuesday morning that the medical examiner’s office confirmed it was Esperum.
Related: Teens killed in Willamette River car crash identified
Just before the crash on April 6, police officers said they saw the driver headed the wrong way on a downtown street. They said they activated the patrol car’s overhead lights, but did not initiate a pursuit.
As of Tuesday morning, the car was still in the river. Portland police were in the process of procuring a contractor to complete the retrieval.
