VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Many questions remain days after a car drove off the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier at the Oceanfront and plunged into the water.
As of Wednesday morning, police say the car is still on the ocean floor, a few hundred feet from the Oceanfront boardwalk. Recovery efforts are still being coordinated, though have been difficult amid dangerous water conditions, police say.
Now, police say a missing male may be connected to the incident.
Here's a timeline of what we've learned so far:
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.
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.
Danielle Saitta/WTKRA barge and crane from Crofton Diving and Salvage has arrived at the end of the pier to retrieve the car.
- 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.”
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.
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.
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.
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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