A quiet Friday morning at Brooklyn Bridge Park turned grim when a man's body was pulled from the East River near Pier 5 following a 911 call about a person in the water. Emergency Medical Services pronounced the man dead at the scene after first responders brought him in from roughly 30 feet off the pier. The NYPD has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
According to PIX11, officers found the unresponsive man floating about 30 feet from Pier 5, pulled him from the water, and turned him over to EMS, who declared him dead on site. The outlet reports that the NYPD's Harbor Unit handled the recovery and initiated the inquiry. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death, per the OCME.
Investigation underway
NYPD investigators remained on scene Friday as they treated the case as an active investigation, working to identify the man and piece together what led to his recovery from the river. The department's Harbor Unit is responsible for water rescues and recoveries and coordinates with the medical examiner and EMS on calls like this one, as outlined on the NYPD site. Detectives typically canvass nearby piers, pull surveillance video, and speak with anyone who might have seen something as they move the probe forward.
Where it happened
Pier 5 sits along Brooklyn Bridge Park between the Brooklyn Bridge and the DUMBO waterfront and is a well known spot for recreation, markets, and skyline watching. Brooklyn Bridge Park lists Pier 5 among its featured destinations and notes regular programming there, according to Brooklyn Bridge Park. Neighbors and early media coverage described emergency boats in the water and police at the river's edge on Friday morning, as reported by PIX11.
As of Friday, police had not released the man's identity. The medical examiner's office will announce its findings after the autopsy is complete. Anyone with information is asked to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS or submit a tip online through NYPD Crime Stoppers.
