The body of an unidentified man was pulled from the Hudson River near Battery Park in Manhattan on Monday afternoon, May 26, marking the latest instance of human remains being discovered in New York’s waterways. Officers from the New York Police Department’s Harbor Unit recovered the body following a 911 call reporting someone in the water.
Emergency responders located the body around 3:01 p.m. near Battery Park, where the man was found unconscious and unresponsive. Medical personnel pronounced the man dead at the scene after the NYPD Harbor Unit retrieved the body.
Authorities have yet to determine how long the man had been in the water or whether foul play might have been involved. Police stated that an investigation is ongoing to uncover the circumstances surrounding his death. The Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to establish the official cause of death.
The deceased’s identity has not been made public pending notification of family members and completion of the medical examiner’s identification process. Law enforcement has urged anyone with relevant information to contact Crime Stoppers, emphasizing that “all tips will remain confidential.”
This case is the most recent in a string of bodies recovered from waterways around New York City in recent months. The Hudson River and other nearby waters have seen multiple similar discoveries, sparking concerns over safety and potential criminal activity in these areas.
In February, investigators made a particularly grim discovery when a body was found inside a suitcase floating in the East River. The suitcase was spotted near Governors Island, prompting NYPD Harbor Unit members to bring the case to Pier 16 on South Street near John Street in Manhattan’s Financial District.
The February case was identified as the remains of Edwin Echevarria, a 65-year-old man who had been dismembered. Investigators later arrested Christian Millet, 23, who was charged with murder in connection with Echevarria’s death. Authorities revealed that Millet had separated Echevarria’s body and placed various parts into bags before disposing of them in the East River.
Earlier cases have highlighted the complexities of investigating bodies found in the city’s waterways. In September 2024, another man’s remains were discovered in the Hudson River near Riverside Park, which raised suspicions due to unusual circumstances requiring further investigation.
The September incident involved a man believed to be in his mid-30s to early 40s. His body was found in the Hudson River at West 79th Street and Riverside Drive at approximately 7:15 a.m. What made this case especially troubling was that the body had been weighed down with stones, prompting authorities to immediately treat it as suspicious.
The victim in September was still clothed when found, though it remains unclear if he had suffered physical injuries. As with other cases, investigators relied on the Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death while pursuing evidence of what appeared to be an effort to conceal the crime.
Other discoveries have emerged from nearby regions, such as a March case in Hoboken, New Jersey, where remains pulled from the Hudson River were later identified as belonging to a murder victim. That victim was Julio Torres, a 23-year-old from Passaic, New Jersey, whose body was discovered near Pier C Park on March 23.
The Hoboken investigation resulted in murder charges against Erick Fernandez, a 26-year-old tattoo artist from Lodi, New Jersey. Prosecutors accused Fernandez of shooting Torres, stealing his belongings — including his car — and later disposing of his body in the Hudson River. Fernandez is facing charges including first-degree murder, multiple weapons offenses, desecration of remains, and robbery.
The repeated recovery of bodies from regional waterways has drawn heightened attention from the authorities. The NYPD Harbor Unit continues to play a key role in handling these recovery efforts, working alongside other agencies to investigate the circumstances of each discovery.
Officials are urging the public to help with ongoing investigations tied to bodies recovered from local waterways. They reiterate that anyone with information about the man recovered near Battery Park on Monday, or similar cases, should call Crime Stoppers, where all tips will be kept confidential.
