VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Police confirmed a body was found inside the SUV recovered from the ocean floor nearly a week after the vehicle drove off the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier.
Virginia Beach Police said Friday morning that the body recovered was inside the red Nissan Kicks that had no license plates.
The medical examiner's office will identify the body, then notify the person's next of kin, police said.
“They’ve got our forensics specialists on the barge and they're going to extract the body from the vehicle and he will go with the medical examiner and attempt to identify him and reunite him with his family,” VBPD’s Chief Communications Officer Jody Saunders.
The car had been at the bottom of the ocean for about seven days after driving off the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier.
The recovery effort was led by Virginia Beach Police in coordination with Crofton Industries, whose professional salvage and dive team was able to hoist the vehicle up onto a barge. The entities delayed the recovery for several days to ensure the mission could be completed safely.
The first diver from Crofton Industries entered the water around 9 a.m. and the operation was done at 9:48 a.m., police said.
The car was retrieved just around 9:20 a.m. on Friday. The front of the car appeared to be smashed, and the hood was partially dangling off as it was hoisted upside down from the water.
Police said there were no injuries during the recovery effort.
Jimmy Speedway, an onlooker who watched the recovery happen, said he hopes the situation reminds people to be mindful of their well-being.
“We came out here today to just kind of bring awareness to the seriousness of mental health and what people can do to get help, and really just the best options to take,” said Speedway.
Speedway continued, “I think a lot of people in Virginia Beach right now are hugging their loved ones a little tighter and they’re just trying to reach out to the people they love and make sure that they're okay.”
A vigil will be held at 6 p.m. at the Fishing Pier with candles to honor the person who passed away.
Videos capturing the incident and the aftermath at the pier have garnered tens of millions of views on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Here's a timeline of what we've learned so far:
Friday, Feb. 2: Dead body and car recovered, police say
- A vigil will be held at 6 p.m. at the Fishing Pier with candles to honor the person who passed away. As of this writing, the person has not been identified by police.
- At 10:15 a.m., police shared that the dead body recovered was an occupant of the red Nissan Kicks that was recovered, and there was no license plate attached. Police added that the next steps entail medical examiners identifying the dead body, then notifying the next of kin.
“They’ve got our forensics specialists on the barge and they're going to extract the body from the vehicle and he will go with the medical examiner and attempt to identify him and reunite him with his family,” said VBPD’s Chief Communications Officer Jody Saunders. - At approximately 9:20 a.m., the vehicle was extracted from the ocean. Police said the operation was done at 9:48 a.m., and no one was hurt during the recovery.
- Police said the first hardhat diver from Crofton Industries entered the water around 9 a.m.
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- At 9:08 a.m. VBPD posted to X that conditions appeared to be favorable for a recovery attempt this morning. Crofton Industries' barge arrived just after 6 a.m. to prepare. A portion of the shoreline and pier are closed to allow first responders and other personnel space to "carry out this delicate operation."
- Around 8:30 a.m., VBPD boats could be seen patrolling the water near the pier.
- Just before 8:45 a.m., a News 3 crew saw a crane being stationed in the water near the pier.
Thursday, Feb. 1: Conditions not suitable for recovery attempt
- News 3 spoke with Virginia Beach Police Thursday morning about whether they would attempt a recovery, but they could not commit, as their Marine Unit must first confer with diving and salvage group Crofton Industries.
- Just before 11 a.m., a News 3 crew saw a VBPD boat patrolling the area near the edge of the Fishing Pier.
- Around 12:30 p.m., VBPD said Crofton Industries advised them that conditions were not suitable for recovery operations. They added that Crofton Industries is monitoring the weather, and there are indicators that another attempt may be possible on Friday.
Wednesday, Jan. 31: Car remains in water
- Just before 1 p.m., police said weather conditions prevented another recovery attempt. There was a National Weather Service Small Craft Advisory in effect, police said.
- Police previously indicated that the next recovery attempt could be on Thursday, Feb. 1.
- Drone footage captured Wednesday afternoon showed the conditions at the Oceanfront, also giving a new view on the pier's damage.
Tuesday, Jan. 30: Missing male could possibly be tied to the incident
- Just before 10 a.m., police shared that they’re working to learn if a missing male is somehow connected to the car that drove off the Fishing Pier. According to police, a family contacted them about a missing male relative. The missing person case has many similarities to the circumstances surrounding the car that was driven into the water, police noted.
- Police did not share the specific correlations between the two cases. They provided the following statement:
“Though we have indicators these cases are related, at this time, we are unable to confirm this missing person is associated with the car that still has to be recovered. The ROV HAS NOT been able to discern if the submerged vehicle has a license plate attached.
Once the vehicle is recovered, we will need the local office of the Medical Examiner to confirm identity of any occupant(s). The ongoing recovery efforts remain focused on reuniting any occupant(s) with their loved ones and maintaining the integrity of the investigation.”
- We don't yet know the circumstances, but the incident has sparked a conversation about suicide awareness. On Tuesday, a sign near the pier that started with, "Dear stranger..." was on display.
Monday, Jan. 29: Police share update and underwater video
- VBPD Sgt. Brian Ricardo provided an update on recovery effort logistics during a press conference.
"The car is unstable," explained Sgt. Ricardo. "The fear for us is not that it will drift but that one of the divers will get entangled in the car."
- At 5:30 p.m., VBPD released a video taken with the Chesapeake Fire Department’s ROV (remotely operated vehicle). Police were able to confirm from the video that the car was upside-down, rocking with the current.
Sunday, Jan. 28: Car recovery attempted
- Around 1 p.m., professional salvage divers from Crofton Industries and a salvage barge were used to try to recover the car, police said. Dangerous water conditions raised diver safety concerns and issues with keeping the salvage barge stable.
- Efforts to recover the car were postponed due to rough waters.
- Virginia Beach police shared the following statement:
“At this time, the exact number or identity of occupants remains unknown. The goal of this mission is to safely retrieve the vehicle, reunite all occupants with their loved ones, and maintain the integrity of all evidence.”
Saturday, Jan. 27: Car drives off pier into the water before dawn
- Reports about a car that drove off the pier at the Oceanfront on 14th St. started to come in just before 7 a.m., police said.
- When Virginia Beach police and fire personnel arrived at the pier minutes later, they said they found a car in the water.
- A video shared with News 3 shows the car drive toward the end of the pier, briefly pause, and then go off the end.
- Dangerous water conditions, including poor visibility, prevented divers from retrieving the car that day, police said. Instead, police said sonar was used to pinpoint the car’s location – later determined to be on the ocean floor.
This timeline will be updated as we learn more.
If you or someone you know is suicidal or in emotional distress, we encourage you to use the following resources.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
You can call or text 988 if you’re in a suicidal crisis or emotional distress. It’s a national network of local crisis centers that provide free and confidential support. They are available to help 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can learn more at 988lifeline.org.
Findtreatment.gov
Findtreatment.gov is a confidential and anonymous resource for locating treatment facilities for mental and substance use disorders in the United States and its territories. Visit https://findtreatment.gov/locator to locate treatment options near you.
National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline
The NAMI HelpLine is a free, nationwide peer-supported service providing information, resource referrals and support to people living with a mental health condition. You can text “HelpLine” to 62640 or call 800-950-6264. Learn more about additional resources at www.nami.org/help.
Open Path Psychotherapy Collective
The Open Path Psychotherapy Collective is a nationwide network of mental health professionals who offer virtual and in-office sessions at a steeply reduced rate to people who qualify. You can learn more at www.openpathcollective.org.
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