Body recovered from Snake River was Oregon man missing since November, family says
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Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman
BOISE (Idaho Statesman) – Family members and authorities said a body found recently in the Snake River appears to be that of a Treasure Valley man who went missing in November.
Someone reported seeing a body in the river near Delmar Avenue at about 1 p.m. Friday, according to the Payette County Sheriff’s Office. The office said its Swift Water Rescue Team responded and recovered the body, and in a release said it “appears to be a missing person out of Malheur County” in Oregon.
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Family members said the victim was 21-year-old Miguel Angel Diaz, of Nyssa, just southwest of Delmar Avenue, according to a GoFundMe launched by Marneli Pascacio Diaz, the man’s cousin.
“Miguel, first and foremost, no words can describe this unexplainable feeling that our families are feeling,” Pascacio Diaz said on the GoFundMe’s page. “You were funny, kind, shy, serious yet sweet, and most of all so caring of your family. We all will remember how much of a beautiful, lively soul you are. We love you so much, Miguel.”
Dave Kesey, undersheriff with the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed to the Idaho Statesman that the body seemed to be Diaz, but he was waiting on an autopsy and report from the coroner for final confirmation. That report should include a cause of death, according to Kesey.
“We’re not officially saying it is him, but everything is kind of unofficially looking like it is Miguel,” Kesey said on a phone call.
Family members had not seen or heard from Diaz since Nov. 26, when he was last spotted exiting a residence, according to the Nyssa Police Department. Family members reported him missing, resulting in law enforcement conducting a search and asking the public for any information that could help find him.
Diaz’s truck was found on Nov. 29, the day after Thanksgiving, along the Idaho side of the Snake River, just east of Nyssa, police said.
Pascacio Diaz launched a GoFundMe to help Diaz’s parents cover funeral expenses, he said online.
“Miguel lived with his parents, who are devastated by this loss,” Pascacio Diaz said. “He leaves behind his five brothers and only sister. The funds will go directly to them to help cover funeral expenses and provide much-needed support to his grieving family during this difficult time.”
Pascacio Diaz did not immediately respond to the Statesman.
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