Divers recovered a 74-year-old man’s body after a car reportedly reversed into Lake Ontario on Thursday night.

The vehicle went into the water near Lake Shore Boulevard East and Parliament Street at around 10 p.m.

Police say that their preliminary investigation suggests that the vehicle reversed over a low steel barrier and into the water. They say that it appears as though the vehicle was accelerating as it reversed.

However, witnesses say it appeared the car was attempting a three-point turn when it backed over the ledge.

A number of people from a nearby film set jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue the man trapped inside the vehicle, though their efforts were unsuccessful.

"The last thing I saw was the bubbles floating up," one witness said.

The car was later located by members of the Toronto Police Marine Unit using an underwater camera. No attempt was made to remove it from the lake on Thursday night due to murky waters creating visibility issues.

"They were asking us to bring out lights from our film set," another witness said. "The next thing I know there's cops everywhere."

Police divers entered the water after the sun came up on Friday morning and quickly recovered the body of a white man wearing black pants and a white shirt with markings on the shoulder that may indicate that he worked on a ship crew. Police have not confirmed that information and no crews in the area have said they are missing a member.

Peter Ochitawa works nearby as a shore captain for ships in the harbour. He told CTV News Toronto that he knows the victim.

"I was sitting this morning with one of our engineers and when we saw them lift the body out and saw the epaulets, there was concern because there was no doubt that it was someone that was associated with the marine businesses down here on the harbour," Ochitawa.

"He died taken by the passion that had kept him living for so many years."

Police have not identified the victim.

A crane was later brought in to remove the red 2008 Toyota. As it was pulled to the surface, damage was visible on the right rear tire and the tail pipe. The car is registered to a woman in Toronto but there was no immediate word whether there is any relation to the man found inside.

Toronto police say they are still investigating the case. So far, they have not said whether they consider this death suspicious.

With files from CTV News Toronto's Sean Leathong