The bodies of a young couple who went missing over a decade ago have been discovered in central Russia’s Volga River. In December 2005, Ilya Zhirnov, 25, and his girlfriend Kira Cherkasova, 22, disappeared. Their remains were recovered inside a car at the bottom of the Volga in the Chuvash Republic in central Russia, more than ten years after they went missing in Cheboksary.

Authorities identified the couple based on car papers that had lasted more than ten years underwater. Mr. Zhirnov stole his father’s car to pick up Miss Cherkasova from work in December 2005, and it was the last time they were seen together. The family had been kept in the dark about the young lovers’ whereabouts until today. The police investigated the missing pair but were eventually forced to dismiss the case due to a lack of evidence.

While examining the waters near a neighboring beach, a local diving enthusiast (whose name has not been revealed) discovered the couple’s car in the river. The next day, after telling the authorities of his discovery, they were able to lift the car out of the river. Authorities believe the couple died in an accident on icy roads near the river. The findings of the ongoing police investigation will eventually be made public.