VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — UPDATE: Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2 p.m.
In a post to X, Virginia Beach Police said they have spoken with Crofton Industries, and have decided that conditions are not favorable for a recovery attempt today.
News 3 Chief Meteorologist Patrick Rockey said there is a small craft advisory, a sea height of 5-6 feet and southeast winds between 5-10 mph with gusts up to 18 mph. The ocean temperature is 46 — the average for January.
As police continue to coordinate recovery efforts, the community is showing signs of concern. We don't yet know the circumstances, but the incident has sparked a conversation about suicide awareness.
On Tuesday, News 3's Angela Bohon saw a sign near the pier that started with, "Dear stranger..."
She also spoke with a woman who was setting out teddy bears and other stuffed animals. The woman, Antoinette Banks, said she recently started a project called "Bear Kindness Drive." The project entails her handing out little stuffies with powerful, positive messages.
"That's the one thing I loved about it when I thought of it: there's no race, no religion, no nothing attached to it. It's just pure being kind, showing someone they matter; they are loved," said Banks.
She encouraged those who stopped by to take one.
On Monday evening, Virginia Beach Police made a series of posts to X, formerly Twitter, walking followers through each step of the process as many wonder why a body or bodies still have not been recovered.
"Because it is a crime scene, we want to leave it encapsulated as best we can," said Sgt. Brian Ricardo, with VBPD's Special Operations Bureau. "If we open up that portal to the ocean, we're going to lose evidence."
Ricardo said Monday the car is on its roof leaning towards the beach. In the series of X posts, VBPD shared two clips of video footage taken by a remotely-operated vehicle where, through the murky water, images of what appear to be the vehicle can be seen. In one clip, a tire briefly appears; in the other, a flash of red.
Videos of the incident and aftermath at the pier spread widely since Saturday, generating more than 10 million views on social media sites Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. In the comments, many express dismay on a lack of update on the car's occupants.
"The car is unstable," Ricardo said. "The fear for us is not that it will drift but that one of the divers will get entangled in the car."
A VBPD X post adds, "The goal of this mission remains to safely retrieve the vehicle, reunite any & all occupants with their loved ones, & maintain the integrity of all evidence."
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Car driving off Virginia Beach pier sparks conversation about mental health
A sonar image shared with News 3 also shed light on the car's position.
The brown streaks in the bottom left of the image are remnants of the pier in the water. The larger brown mark in the image is the vehicle.
On Sunday, VBPD worked with a team from Crofton Industries, a group they said bring "extensive experience & access to the appropriate equipment to salvage objects form the ocean floor" but ultimately, "tumultuous surface conditions" prevented the effort. Chains and mooring lines were broken, and Crofton was forced to return for repairs.
News 3 will continue to follow this story, updating you on air and online.
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.
