Eerie underwater footage shows car on the bottom of the ocean after it mysteriously drove off end of a 650ft Virginia pier

By Isabelle Stanley and James Gordon For Dailymail.com

03:02 30 Jan 2024, up to date 05:43 30 Jan 2024

• The video reveals the car race throughout the sidewalk earlier than crashing within the sea
• Sonar imaging launched Monday reveals the wreckage on the underside of the ocean
• In the meantime an eerie underwater clip of the crash website was additionally shared by officers
• Rescuers are persevering with to battle unhealthy climate as they attempt to recuperate the car

Horrifying new footage reveals the second a automobile practically worn out a pedestrian earlier than driving off the top of a pier in Virginia in a suspected suicide bid.

The video reveals the car race throughout the sidewalk earlier than crashing by the obstacles and plunging into the Atlantic in Virginia Seaside on Saturday morning.

It comes as sonar imaging launched on Monday reveals the wreckage on the underside of the ocean as rescuers battle unhealthy climate to attempt to recuperate it.

In the meantime an eerie underwater clip of the crash website was shared by cops as they proceed to analyze.

Grisly cellphone footage first emerged on Sunday of the automobile racing down 14th Road Fishing Pier earlier than toppling over the sting and into the ocean.

It sparked horror throughout the nation and thriller as police admitted they have no idea if the driving force escaped or is useless inside.

The brand new footage reveals a silhouette strolling alongside a footpath because the SUV screams previous, first crossing a motorbike path after which onto the picket boardwalk of the pier.

It then disappears out of sight, earlier than dashing down the pier – inflicting widespread destruction – and over the sting.

On Monday, video shot by divers utilizing an ROV noticed them attain the car, presently mendacity the wrong way up on the ocean flooring in about 20 toes of water. 

The water was too murky and the ocean too tough so as to receive any distinguishing options of the car such because the license plate or who could also be inside. 

The automobile plunged into the ocean round 6.50am on Saturday morning when the car crashed by three obstacles earlier than dashing down the size of the 650ft pier.

The car braked briefly earlier than slamming by the picket balustrade on the finish of the pier and straight over the sting plunging into the ocean. 

A lady standing on the seashore caught the incident on digital camera when she heard a loud crash and began filming. 

Virginia Seaside Fireplace Division had been on the scene inside 4 minutes and despatched a diver into the water to analyze and rescue anybody contained in the automobile.

By the point the police division had been on scene, the divers had already been pulled from the water. 

The police are actually working to recuperate the automobile and any occupants, however mentioned they nonetheless didn’t understand how many individuals had been inside. 

‘No person needs to convey decision to this greater than we do,’ Sgt. Brian Ricardo with VBPD Particular Operations mentioned. ‘We’re as annoyed as everybody else that we won’t get within the water, and we won’t do one thing to get this transferring ahead.’

Officers have been utilizing side-scan sonar to seek for the car which was discovered instantly  on sonar.

The automobile is on its roof and is unstable transferring round within the tough present.

‘The automobile is unstable,’ defined Sgt. Ricardo. ‘The worry for us isn’t that it’ll drift however that one of many divers will get entangled within the automobile.’ 

‘Sturdy currents & extraordinarily low visibility made it too harmful for divers to navigate & assess the world safely, particularly close to a submerged SUV rocking on its roof within the turbulent present,’ police tweeted on Monday. 

Water temperatures are mentioned to be across the mid-40s. 

Witnesses mentioned the automobile turned onto the boardwalk from Atlantic Avenue at velocity and crashed by the primary set of obstacles on the pier. 

In a sequence of tweets on Monday, the police division outlined their intentions going ahead. 

‘The objective of this mission stays to securely retrieve the car, reunite any & all occupants with their family members, & preserve the integrity of all proof.

‘We respect our group’s concern about this incident. That is an ongoing investigation & we are going to proceed to share updates as we’re in a position. We’re working diligently to convey closure to these affected by our investigative & restoration course of.

VBPD’s divers are skilled in water rescue and never underwater restoration.

As a substitute, the Division has introduced in a staff of salvage divers, with particular abilities and gear, skilled within the retrieval of sunken objects, have been introduced in to recuperate the SUV which is sitting on its roof.

Deteriorating climate and sea circumstances prevented VBPD from diving into the water on Saturday. 

Divers from Crofton Industries have been employed to help with the restoration effort.

The corporate has the best expertise and gear to salvage objects from the ocean flooring.

After being on scene for a lot of the afternoon, the tough seas ended up snapping chains and mooring traces getting used within the restoration which means the dive staff must attempt once more later within the week.

‘I can perceive individuals’s frustrations,’ Sgt. Ricardo mentioned. ‘However to let you know how harmful it was, they broke two bridles that maintain their cranes in place they usually snapped a mooring line from the crane barge onto their dive boat.

‘As a result of it’s a crime scene, we wish to go away [the car] encapsulated as finest we are able to as a result of if we open up that portal to the ocean, we will lose proof,’ defined Ricardo.

The following try to salvage the car is more likely to be this Thursday or Friday.

One of many ladies who caught the incident on digital camera, Kaylynn Crawford, advised WAVY: ‘We noticed at first it was going actually quick. We thought it was simply going to go for it. 

‘However towards the top, the automobile began to decelerate, and it form of appeared as if it nearly teeter-tottered on the finish. Then, it unexpectedly simply dropped down over the pier.’

Charlotte Murphy, who works at a seafood restaurant on the pier, advised the outlet: ‘They went by three gates which is fairly loopy and these are actually, actually sturdy gates. It is actually loopy to consider.

‘As quickly as I obtained down right here I used to be like, ‘Holy cow that’s the craziest factor that I’ve heard in an extended, very long time.’