Car found underwater at Long Island beach with human remains inside may be linked to 15-year-old missing persons case

A dive team made a chilling discovery at Cedar Beach in Mt. Sinai on Long Island when they found human remains inside a barnacle-covered car submerged underwater. The team, consisting of Dan Pritchard and Bill McIntosh, who specialize in searching for missing persons, believe the remains may be linked to a 15-year-old missing persons case.

The car, a Chrysler PT Cruiser, was found at the beach on Monday, prompting an investigation by Suffolk County Police. Pritchard and McIntosh suspect that the remains may belong to Long Island native Robert Long, who went missing in December 2010 at the age of 62 while on a run to a local liquor store in a vehicle matching the description of the car found underwater.

Using kayaks equipped with special side-scan sonar devices, the pair searched underwater and located what appeared to be human bones inside the car. They immediately contacted the authorities, who conducted their own diving search and eventually lifted the vehicle out of the water with a crane after confirming the presence of human remains.

The Suffolk County Medical Examiner will be responsible for identifying the remains and performing an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Detective Lt. Kevin Beyrer stated that while there is a missing person case that they suspect the driver of the car to be related to, no definitive identification has been made yet.

Pritchard and McIntosh plan to continue their search for sunken vehicles along the East Coast, including several locations on Long Island, in the hopes of recovering the remains of up to 50 missing people. The discovery at Cedar Beach was the third vehicle they pulled up during their current trip and the 16th for McIntosh since he began this work in 2020.

The divers expressed their satisfaction in being able to bring closure to families by finding missing persons and bringing them home. Their efforts not only provide answers but also offer hope to those who have been searching for their loved ones for years.