Police discovered the 86-year-old resident after responding to a damaged fence along the Indian River Lagoon waterfront.
VERO BEACH, Fla. — An 86-year-old man reported missing Wednesday night was found dead Thursday inside an SUV submerged in the Indian River Lagoon after police responded to a damaged fence near a waterfront seawall, authorities said.
Vero Beach police said the discovery was made Oct. 22 in the 200 block of Greytwig Road on the city’s barrier island. Officers had opened a missing-person investigation the previous evening after the man, who lived in the area, was reported missing. His name had not been publicly released as of Thursday.
Police returned to the Greytwig Road area at about 9 a.m. Thursday after receiving a report of damage to a fence near the seawall. Officers then found a vehicle submerged in the Indian River Lagoon. Vero News identified the vehicle as a 2006 Honda CR-V.
The Indian River County Fire Rescue Dive Team was called to assist at the scene. Divers confirmed that a person was inside the vehicle, and authorities determined the occupant was the missing 86-year-old man. Police said his next of kin was notified.
Investigators had not determined publicly how or when the SUV entered the lagoon. Authorities also had not announced whether the man experienced a medical emergency or whether another factor may have contributed to the vehicle leaving the land and entering the water.
Police said an autopsy will be conducted to determine the man’s cause of death. The examination could provide investigators with additional information about the circumstances surrounding his death, but no official cause or manner of death had been released Thursday.
The damaged fence became a central part of the investigation because it was located near the seawall where the vehicle was discovered. CBS12 reported that officers responded to the area specifically because of the fence damage before locating the submerged SUV.
The Vero Beach Police Department expressed condolences to the man’s family and thanked the Indian River County Fire Rescue Dive Team for assisting with the response and recovery effort.
The death remained under investigation Thursday. Police had not announced evidence of criminal activity, and authorities were awaiting the autopsy while continuing to determine how the vehicle ended up in the Indian River Lagoon.
Author note: Last updated October 22, 2026.