VERO BEACH — The body of an 86-year-old Vero Beach man was found Thursday inside a vehicle that had gone into the Indian River Lagoon near a barrier island condo complex, police said.
The man, whose name has not been released, lived in the area and had been reported missing the night before. Vero Beach police began a missing person investigation after receiving the report Wednesday evening in the 200 block of Greytwig Road, north of the Vero Beach City Marina.
Around 9 a.m. Thursday, officers responded to a report of a damaged fence near the seawall in the same area. They found a 2006 Honda CR-V submerged in the lagoon. The Indian River County Fire Rescue Dive Team confirmed a body inside the vehicle. Police later determined it was the missing man.
Next of kin has been notified. An autopsy is planned to determine the cause of death. The investigation into how the vehicle entered the water remains open.
Witnesses told WPBF that the SUV appeared to drive through a fence and into the lagoon. Police found tire marks near the scene, and officers later pulled the silver CR-V from the water after spending hours at the location. Residents who knew the driver described the scene as unsettling and were seen afterward cleaning mud and tire marks from the parking lot.
“The Vero Beach Police Department extends its sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased,” a department statement said. Officials also thanked the dive team for its assistance.
No further details on the circumstances leading up to the incident have been released.
