The Eyrie

VERO BEACH, FL — An 86-year-old Vero Beach man who had been reported missing was found dead Thursday after responders pulled a vehicle from the Indian River Lagoon, according to the Vero Beach Police Department.

Officers were called to Greytwig Road after a damaged fence near a seawall inside Riverside Gardens, a 55-and-up condominium community on Vero Beach’s barrier island, was reported. When they arrived, they found a vehicle in the water.

With help from the Indian River County Fire Rescue Dive Team, crews confirmed that the man was inside the vehicle and had died. Police said he lived in the area and had been reported missing the night before.

Officers find the vehicle after damage near a seawall draws attention

The discovery began with a report about a damaged fence in the waterfront community. Police said the area includes only a small parking barrier and a wooden fence separating parking spaces from the lagoon, leaving vehicles close to the water’s edge.

That setup has drawn attention because the damaged fence remains visible near the seawall. The scene raised immediate concerns about how a vehicle ended up submerged so close to the condominium parking area.

Vero Beach police have not released additional details about the moments before the car entered the lagoon. The investigation is still focused on how the vehicle got into the water and what led to the fatal outcome.

Dive team confirms the man was inside and deceased

Once the vehicle was located, the Indian River County Fire Rescue Dive Team assisted officers with the recovery. Police said the man was found inside the submerged vehicle and was already dead when crews confirmed his presence.

Authorities have not said how long the vehicle may have been in the lagoon before it was spotted. The man’s identity has not been publicly released, beyond the confirmation that he was 86 years old and lived nearby.

The case remains a death investigation, and officials have not described any signs of foul play. At this stage, police are treating the recovery as an active inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the vehicle’s entry into the water.

Autopsy planned as investigators work to determine cause of death

Police said an autopsy is planned to help determine the man’s cause of death. That step is expected to be important in clarifying whether the fatality was caused by the crash, drowning, a medical emergency, or another factor.

Authorities have not said whether they believe the man drove into the lagoon accidentally or whether another event may have contributed. They also have not released information on the condition of the vehicle when it was recovered.

The investigation remains open, and officials have not given a timetable for when more answers may be available. For now, the confirmed facts are limited to the recovery, the identification of the victim as a missing local man, and the planned examination by the medical examiner.

Waterfront safety concerns surface at Riverside Gardens

The incident has also renewed questions about safety around the lagoon edge at Riverside Gardens. Because the parking spaces sit close to the seawall, residents and visitors can park near a point where only modest barriers separate vehicles from the water.

CBS12 News contacted property management to ask whether complaints have been made before about the fence or seawall, whether additional safety barriers had been considered, and whether anything similar had happened there in the past.

As of publication, no response had been received. It is also unclear whether the damaged fence will be repaired or reinforced, though the visible damage has become part of the broader discussion about waterfront protection at the property.

What remains unanswered after the lagoon recovery

Several key questions remain unresolved. Investigators have not said exactly when the vehicle went into the lagoon, what caused it to leave the parking area, or whether witnesses saw the incident happen.

Police also have not announced whether the man was alone in the vehicle or whether any mechanical problems may have played a role. Those details may emerge later through the autopsy and the continuing investigation.

For neighbors and residents nearby, the case is now a tragic reminder of how quickly an ordinary parking area can turn dangerous when barriers are limited and water is immediately adjacent to where cars are parked.