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80-year-old man found dead in East River near Long Island City, NYPD says
By
Michael Sol Warren
Published May 20, 2026
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Kyle Little via Getty Images
By
Michael Sol Warren
Published May 20, 2026
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An 80-year-old man was found dead in the East River near Long Island City on Tuesday afternoon, police said.
The man was reported floating in the water near 44th Drive and Vernon Boulevard around 4:45 p.m, according to the NYPD.
Responding officers removed the man from the water, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police have not yet released the man’s identity.
City medical examiners are determining his cause of death.
The NYPD said it has not made any arrests in the case and the investigation remains ongoing.
This story is based on preliminary information from police and may be updated.
Tagged
east river
long island city
new york city
public safety
Michael Sol Warren
Michael Sol Warren covers New Jersey for WNYC and Gothamist, and previously reported on issues around the Garden State for NJ Spotlight News and NJ Advance Media. He can be reached at [email protected].
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