The body of a 15-year-old girl, missing for a week, has been discovered along the East River near Roosevelt Island, the NYPD confirmed. Identified as Graceline Ilogene of the Upper East Side, the teen was reported to have entered the river on May 30, prompting an intensive search. According to Gothamist, it was just after noon when Ilogene was last seen.
Investigators found a pair of white sneakers, a jacket, and several personal books near the river’s guardrail, the location where she is believed to have entered the water. Divers from the NYPD and FDNY conducted a multi-day search in the waters beneath the Roosevelt Island Bridge but did not locate her alive. NBC New York reported that the search enlisted a variety of methods, including ladders and rope, police harbor vessels equipped with side-scanning sonar, and aerial surveillance from NYPD helicopter and drone units.
The East River is characterized by strong currents and limited visibility, making it a difficult environment for search and rescue operations. It also serves as a regular route for New York City ferries, including a line connecting East 90th Street to Roosevelt Island.
The police have announced that they do not suspect foul play in the incident involving Ilogene. Her cause of death, still to be determined by the city's medical examiner.
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