Body of Missing Teen Recovered From Walter Wirth Lake

13-year-old Maria Martinez was last seen Saturday while swimming with a friend at the popular swimming spot at Cascade Gateway Park

Salem Fire crews at work Saturday Photo courtesy: Bill Holmstrom/Salem Fire

(SALEM) - Linn County Sheriff`s Office divers recovered the body of 13-year-old Maria Martinez Sunday just before 2:00 PM in about 25-feet of water.

An Oregon Army National Guard Helicopter from Salem on its way back from a training mission helped in locating the teen's body.

Maria Martinez was reported missing after she and a friend were swimming in Walter Wirth Lake.

The friend swam back to shore, looked back, saw Maria go underwater, who never came back up.

The Salem Fire Department`s water rescue team, along with the Linn County dive team spent until 10:00 PM Saturday night searching for the girl..

City of Salem Parks officials say the lake was made for fishing, NOT swimming.

The lake water is are very murky and cold. The lake`s bottom is very rocky, with logs, and contains lots of fishing debris, such as lines and hooks.

There are warning signs posted warning swimmers of the lake dangers.

There is NO life guard posted at the lake.

The Salem Fire Department says it responds to some 40 water rescue calls a year.

Since Friday, there have been four deaths on Oregon waterways.

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I was SHOCKED by the pic of the girl being pulled out of the water on S-J.com. You could almost make out the girls body. How terrible for them to do that to the family after they lost their daughter!! Thanks for NOT being them, and having class!! MD

We appreciate this Web site so much, the local paper actually put a photo of the girl's body up as it was being pulled from the lake. We are very unhappy with the Statesman Journal's lack of class. You guys do it right, keep up the good work and never be like those classless idiots.

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