Police found the 86-year-old man inside a Honda CR-V after officers investigated a damaged fence near a lagoon seawall.
VERO BEACH, FL — An 86-year-old Vero Beach man who had been reported missing was found dead Thursday inside an SUV submerged in the Indian River Lagoon, according to the Vero Beach Police Department.
Police said the man lived in the area and had been reported missing Wednesday evening, Oct. 21. Officers opened a missing-person investigation after responding to the 200 block of Greytwig Road, north of the Vero Beach City Marina on the barrier island. His name had not been publicly released Thursday.
The investigation took a new turn about 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, when police returned to the area after receiving a report of a damaged fence near a seawall. Officers discovered a 2006 Honda CR-V submerged in the Indian River Lagoon, police said.
The Indian River County Fire Rescue Dive Team responded to assist police and confirmed that a person was inside the vehicle. Authorities determined the person was the missing 86-year-old man who lived nearby. He was pronounced dead, and police said his next of kin was notified.
The vehicle was found near Riverside Gardens, a condominium community on Vero Beach’s barrier island. A damaged fence was visible along the waterfront near parking spaces and the seawall. Authorities had not determined publicly how the SUV entered the lagoon.
Police have not announced what may have happened before the vehicle went into the water. No cause of death had been released Thursday night, and authorities did not say whether investigators had determined when the SUV entered the lagoon.
An autopsy is planned to determine the man’s cause of death. Police have not announced evidence of criminal activity or released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Vero Beach Police Department said it extended condolences to the man’s family and loved ones and thanked the Indian River County Fire Rescue Dive Team for assisting with the response and recovery.
The death remained under investigation Thursday night. Police had not released the man’s identity or announced a final determination on how the vehicle ended up in the Indian River Lagoon.
Author note: Last updated October 22, 2026.