After the SUV left the Virginia Beach Pier, the connection to missing persons was investigated

When someone drove an SUV off a fishing pier at sunrise in Virginia Beach on Saturday, first responders rushed to the scene to rescue those inside.

The rescue attempt turned into a recovery operation because police said conditions that day were too dangerous to recover the submerged vehicle from the harsh winter waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

On Thursday, the SUV was still at the bottom of the ocean and who was inside remained a mystery.

“It is choppy and the current and tides coupled with visibility make it difficult for rescue divers to recover the vehicle,” Jude Brenya, public information officer for the Virginia Beach Police Department, told USA TODAY. “We believe there is at least one person in the vehicle, including the driver, and that everyone in the vehicle is presumed deceased.”

Brunya said police were investigating whether the incident was related to a man reported missing over the weekend.

But who exactly the missing person is remains a mystery as police on Thursday kept quiet about the missing man's identity following a request from his family.

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Multiple emergency calls and an SUV in the water

Shortly after 6:50 a.m. Saturday, several 911 calls were received by Virginia Beach Emergency Communications and Citizen Services reporting a vehicle had driven off the pier into the ocean near 14th Street, according to police.

“The exact number or identity of the occupants remains unknown,” police posted on Facebook the day after the incident. “The goal of this mission is to safely recover the vehicle, reunite all occupants with their loved ones and preserve the integrity of all evidence.”

When the vehicle is recovered, police say they will confirm the identity of the person inside.

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“The circumstances are right”

At about the same time the vehicle plunged into the ocean, the missing man's family contacted police, police said.

“The circumstances are right,” said Brunya. “We’re just waiting for it to be 100% confirmed that it’s him. The facts surrounding this incident are consistent with those in the missing persons report.”

Police said they were working “diligently” to locate the driver’s relatives as part of the “investigation and recovery process.”

A nearly six-day reconstructive operation

Portsmouth-based Crofton Industries, which has been assisting police with the recovery operation for five days, was unable to recover the SUV due to weather and water conditions

“#CroftonIndustries has advised us that conditions are not suitable for recovery operations today,” the Virginia Beach Police Department posted on the X Thursday afternoon. “They are monitoring the weather and there are indications they may attempt to retrieve the vehicle tomorrow .”

Brenya said recovery teams were continuing to monitor the weather and hoped to recover the vehicle on Friday.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.