VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Recovery efforts were expected to pick up Sunday, but police said retrieval for the vehicle that drove off the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier will have to wait.
Scores of people and officials came out Sunday afternoon as a barge carrying a crane was in the water near the pier at 14th Street.
However, Jude Brenya, a spokesperson for the Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD), told 13News Now that the weather posed a risk when it came to pulling the vehicle out, so the recovery process is being postponed to another day. Officials did not have a timeline for when they will attempt retrieval again.
"Due to adverse water conditions and concerns for diver safety, the planned vehicle recovery off the pier today had to be postponed," said Brenya. "The weather, though appearing nice, posed risks, and maintaining the stability of the contracted salvage barge was challenging. We'll reassess and devise a new plan for a safe and effective recovery operation."
Brenya previously said more resources were required for the recovery process.
In an updated release Sunday evening, VBPD reiterated earlier statements outlining the focus of crews' efforts at this time.
"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," VBPD said in a release. "We would like to thank all partners, including VBFD, for their assistance in this tragic incident. We would also like to express our profound condolences to the family of the deceased. VBPD is working diligently to bring closure to their loved ones through our investigative and recovery process."
Brenya noted that investigators are still working to confirm how many people were inside the vehicle and identify them. When previously asked if he could confirm if anyone was inside, Brenya responded: "We won't know until we have the vehicle out of the water."
The incident happened at the pier on 14th Street at around 7 a.m. Saturday and prompted a heavy police response that remained at the scene for much of the day.
A video posted on social media shows the car driving along the pier before going into the ocean. The car appears to press on the brakes a few times as it drives down the pier before ultimately going over the end into the water below.
Witnesses say the car left Atlantic Avenue and crossed the boardwalk before crashing through the gates at the pier.
“The vehicle just drove into the boardwalk, onto the pier end then into the water,” said Brenya. “The vehicle is at the bottom of the ocean.”
First responders on the scene in boats used sonar to scan the water and locate the vehicle, but Brenya says that’s just step one.
“We have an idea of where the vehicle location is. The challenge is being able to recover that vehicle from the water,” Brenya said. “And that’s what they need to figure out. What resources it would take to figure that out.”
Police have not said who, or how many people, may be inside the car.
Virginia Beach resident Dale Bozeman took several photos showing the broken entrance gates and possible tire marks on the pier.
He got to the scene shortly after it happened, having woken up early to take sunrise photos.
“I walked out on the pier and saw the gates were busted down and you could tell something tragic had happened,” Bozeman said. “Busted down two gates and then stopped right at the end of the pier and drove off.”
Charlotte Murphy works at Ocean Eddie’s Seafood restaurant at the entrance to the pier. She arrived at work to find first responders and debris outside her job.
“They went through three gates which is pretty crazy and these are really, really strong gates. It’s really crazy to think about,” Murphy said. “As soon as I got down here I was like, ‘Holy cow that is the craziest thing that I’ve heard in a long, long time.”
The boardwalk and pier are busy areas in the beach city, especially on weekend mornings. Several bystanders lined up to watch the scene as police investigated.
