Car found in Manatee River near downtown Bradenton. Driver just swam away, police say

An investigation is underway after the Bradenton Fire Department found a car in the Manatee River early Tuesday morning. It doesn’t appear anyone is missing or injured at this time.

Video taken by camera at a nearby business shows the unidentified driver swimming away from the vehicle, according to police Capt. Brian Thiers. Police are still trying to determine how and why the vehicle ended up the river.

“We are still sorting through that at the moment,” Thiers said. “What we do know is no one is missing and we are working with the owner of the car, trying to determine who had his vehicle at the time.”

Thiers said the investigation is ongoing, but no one is missing and it doesn’t appear there were any injuries in the incident.

According to the fire department, firefighters responded to the river in the 1400 block of Barcarrota Boulevard in downtown Bradenton just before 2 a.m.

Firefighters and police searched for whoever might have been in the car but no one was found in an hours long search Tuesday morning.

The vehicle was about 60 feet offshore.

“An exhaustive search of the river basin and shore was then conducted, yet no persons were located,” the fire department said.

Bradenton police, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard have taken over the investigation.

This story was originally published September 15, 2020 at 8:56 AM.