MISSING PERSON
CASE #: 1996-70
Salvatore Joseph Marino
Status:
Open
Date of Last Contact:
Date of Last Contact:
Jurisdiction:
Missing From:
Klamath River, CA
Summary:
Salvatore Joseph Marino, 63, of Scott Bar, was driving a work truck on Highway 96 along the Klamath River on September 4, 1996 when it ran off the road at Rocky Point, about three miles east of Seiad Valley, and went into the river. The truck was recovered that evening, submerged on its side in about 15 feet of water, but he was not inside. Divers, boats and a CHP helicopter searched 15 miles of river. His body has never been found.
Vital Statistics
Circumstances of Disappearance:
Salvatore Joseph Marino, 63, lived in Scott Bar, a small community on the Scott River in western Siskiyou County. On Wednesday, September 4, 1996, he was driving a work truck on Highway 96, which follows the Klamath River between Seiad Valley and the Scott River, when the truck ran off the road at Rocky Point, about three miles east of Seiad Valley, and went into the Klamath River. The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office says he was presumably involved in a traffic accident. The truck was found about noon that day, lying on its side and completely submerged in about 15 feet of rock-strewn water, and was pulled from the river at about 6:30 p.m. Contemporary newspaper reports described it as a ten-wheel dump truck loaded with gravel belonging to the California Pipeline Company; the sheriff's office describes it as a garbage truck. Divers searched the truck and the surrounding water but could not find Mr. Marino. Over the following days a California Highway Patrol helicopter, deputies in boats and divers searched at least 15 miles of the Klamath River downstream from the crash site. The search continued until Saturday, September 7, 1996, without finding any sign of him, and on Monday, September 9, the sheriff's department announced it had been called off, according to spokeswoman Susan Gravenkamp. Mr. Marino's body has never been recovered. He was wearing a gold wedding band and a diamond earring and has a tattoo on his left arm. The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office carries his case on its Unsolved Siskiyou list, and a NamUs record was created in February 2026. The case remains open.
Additional Details:
Anyone with information is asked to call the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office at (530) 841-2900.
Case Last Updated:
No detective or agency email provided
Can you help?
Without a lead detective or agency contact email, tips to help solve the case can't get to the right place. Community members, you can help by calling the agency and asking for that information to then share with Solve the Case.
Investigating agency
Ask for the detective handling this case, or an email address where tips can be sent.
Share what you learnTimeline of Events
NamUs case created for Salvatore Marino.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Department announces the search has been called off.
A CHP helicopter, boating deputies and divers have searched at least 15 miles of river downstream without finding any sign of him; the search ends.
Divers, a helicopter and a boat continue searching the river for him.
Salvatore Marino's truck runs off Highway 96 at Rocky Point, about three miles east of Seiad Valley, and goes into the Klamath River. The truck is found about noon and pulled out at 6:30 p.m., submerged on its side in about 15 feet of water; he is not inside.
Related Vehicles
1 / 1
Related Stories & Podcasts
Family Tree
Why is this important?Missing person
Father
Mother
Paternal Grandfather
Paternal Grandmother
Maternal Grandfather
Maternal Grandmother
Paternal Grandfather's Mother
Paternal Grandfather's Father
Paternal Grandmother's Mother
Paternal Grandmother's Father
Maternal Grandfather's Mother
Maternal Grandfather's Father
Maternal Grandmother's Mother
Maternal Grandmother's Father
Paternal Grandfather's Mother
Paternal Grandfather's Father
Paternal Grandmother's Mother
Paternal Grandmother's Father
Maternal Grandfather's Mother
Maternal Grandfather's Father
Maternal Grandmother's Mother
Maternal Grandmother's Father
Paternal Grandfather
Paternal Grandmother
Maternal Grandfather
Maternal Grandmother
Father
Mother
Missing Person
Missing Person
Case Content Disclaimer: The details on this case page are sourced from numerous locations to include family, friends, news postings and government public releases. Solve the Case, Inc. does not guarantee the accuracy of any content as case pages are living documents that frequently update as case details expand.