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The incident began early Thursday, July 2, when the Village of Suffern Police responded to the area after being notified by a village employee of a missing man in the river, said Suffern Police Chief Clarke Osborn.
"Officers responded to the area after a village employee observed two men frantically running along the riverbank in the area of the Suffern Athletic Fields," Osborn said.
When officers arrived the men said that one of their brothers had gone swimming in the river earlier Thursday morning and they thought he had gone home, Osborn said.
When they came back to check the area several hours later after realizing he did not respond home they located his clothing and personal belongings on the riverbank.
Suffern officers Lou Venturini, Abby Adams, John Roberts, and Osborn then began a search of the river and located the deceased man in several feet of water, the chief said.
"Due to the water depth and unsteady terrain we called the Suffern Fire Department in to assist," Osborn added.
The fire department was assisted by fellow fire departments from Mahwah, Thiells, and Stony Point who provided dive and water recovery teams.
"The fire departments did a fantastic job, as always, in assisting us getting the victim out under some difficult conditions," Osborn said.
Special thanks as well as the Rockland Paramedics, Suffern DPW, Rockland County Sheriff’s BCI Unit, and the Rockland Medical Examiners office.
"We send our sincerest condolences to the victim's family," Clark said.
The man's identity has not been released.
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