Parents' Nightmare: Body Of Missing Son, 21, Found At Foot Of Palisades After They Trace Phone

The parents of a missing 21-year-old Somerset County man tracked his cellphone to the Palisades overlooking the Hudson River, where they found his backpack -- and responders eventually recovered his body, authorities said.

Members of the East Bergen Rappel Team recovered the body of a 21-year-old Somerset County man from the foot of the Palisades near the State Line lookout in Alpine.
Photo Credit: *Fort Lee FD (file photo)*

Jerry DeMarco

02/07/2023 11:16 a.m.

The concerned Franklin Township parents called Palisades Interstate Parkway police on Saturday, Feb. 4, and told them their son had been missing for two days, Lt. Raymond E. Walter said.

"They were able to track their son's cell phone to the area of the cliffs, located just south of Stateline Lookout in Alpine," the lieutenant said.

The couple then went there, checked the area and discovered the backpack with his belongings, Walter said.

Parkway police eventually found the son's body at the base of the cliffs, he said.

Members of the East Bergen Rappel Team recovered the body, which was given to the Bergen County Medical Examiner's Office to determine the official cause of death, the lieutenant said.

The Bergen County Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Investigation also collected evidence as part of the Parkway police investigation, he said.

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