VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — One person was found dead inside the car that drove off the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier, police said after the vehicle was recovered Friday morning.
According to the Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD), pathologists with the Medical Examiner's Officer will work to identify the person. Once identified, the person's next of kin will be notified.
The recovered vehicle was identified as a red Nissan Kicks, which didn't have a license plate attached, according to police. It was removed around 9:15 a.m. Friday following days of delays due to poor water conditions.
A barge from the Portsmouth-based private contractor Crofton Industries arrived at the pier around 6:15 a.m. Friday and the extraction attempt began at 9 a.m.
A spokesperson for Virginia Beach police said the vehicle was moved to a calmer location, where a forensics team will open the car doors in privacy. 13News Now has been told the car and the person's description fit with a missing person report filed by a Virginia Beach family days ago.
"There was a strong suggestion, lots of evidence that suggested that would support that," VBPD's Jody Saunders said. "We'll know for sure when the forensics evidence is able to identify the body."
Dozens of people lined the boardwalk and watched as divers extracted the car. Some said they had waited days for this moment.
"My heart has been with the family," said one woman. "It's just so sad, you can't comprehend it."
Days before the recovery, Sgt. Brian Ricardo with the Virginia Beach police's Special Operation Unit said crews had to operate carefully to preserve evidence as the car is technically a crime scene.
When crews first got to the scene Saturday morning, they faced currents up to 3.9 knots and couldn’t dive. Additionally, the vehicle is positioned underwater with zero visibility.
To help with recovery, Crofton Industries stepped in, bringing a salvage barge along with professional salvage divers to try to recover the vehicle.
On Thursday afternoon, weather and ocean conditions again prevented crews from retrieving the vehicle. The National Weather Service had a Small Craft Advisory that was in effect until 7 p.m. Thursday.