Stony Point, NY – The body of a 20-year-old man was recovered from the Hudson River by the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office four days after authorities said he jumped from the Bear Mountain Bridge, according to New York State Police.
State Police said troopers assigned to the Haverstraw barracks responded to the Bear Mountain Bridge at approximately 10:08 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 2, following a report that an individual had jumped from the bridge.
A preliminary investigation determined that the man had parked his vehicle on the eastbound side of the Bear Mountain Bridge before jumping, police said. His identity has not been publicly released.
The New York State Police Underwater Recovery Team responded to the scene and began searching for the man. Despite the initial response, authorities were unable to immediately locate him in the Hudson River.
Several emergency agencies from around the lower Hudson Valley were involved in the response. Marine units were deployed to the river as authorities searched the area following the initial report.
The search continued in the days following the incident.
On Thursday, Aug. 6, the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office recovered the man’s body from the Hudson River. State Police confirmed that he was deceased when he was recovered.
The recovery brought the four-day search to an end. State Police have not released additional information about the circumstances leading up to the incident, and the man’s name had not been made public as of Monday’s announcement.
The Bear Mountain Bridge is a major Hudson River crossing in the northern portion of the Rockland County area. The western approach is near Bear Mountain State Park, which extends through portions of Rockland and Orange counties. The bridge carries U.S. Routes 6 and 202 across the Hudson River and provides a connection between communities and highways on both sides of the river.
The suspension bridge opened in 1924 and stretches approximately 2,255 feet across the Hudson. At the time it was completed, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, a distinction it held until the opening of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge between Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey.
For Rockland County authorities, the Aug. 6 recovery represented the final stage of a multi-agency search that began four days earlier. The Rockland County Sheriff’s Office ultimately located and recovered the victim after the initial State Police underwater search did not find him.
State Police have not announced whether any additional investigation is underway or whether further information about the victim will be released.