POUGHKEEPSIE – First responders spent all day Wednesday searching the Hudson River in the area of the Mid-Hudson Bridge for a person who jumped off the structure early in the morning.
The New York State Bridge Authority contacted Poughkeepsie 911 after receiving a report of a disabled vehicle on the span. A review of surveillance footage confirmed that a person got out of the vehicle and jumped off the bridge, into the river.
Poughkeepsie City Police responded while Poughkeepsie firefighters prepared to launch their boat, Marine 1, to search for the person. Deputy Fire Chief Joe Franco made the decision to keep the boat docked due to heavy fog conditions on the river.
At approximately 5:30 a.m., the sheriff’s office was requested to launch one of their boats in an attempt to locate the person. The boat, Enforcer 1, with two deputies on board, arrived in the vicinity of the span a few minutes later and began conducting a search.
Also responding to the scene were the US Coast Guard, the New York State Police aviation unit, and the City of Poughkeepsie Police marine unit.
