The Ithaca Police Department (IPD) released a statement reporting that the body of a 14-year-old Asian male was removed from the flood canal waters between the West State St. and West Buffalo St. bridges Sunday.
Timeline
The boy left his residence at approximately 7:30 a.m. on Sunday. At 9:30 a.m., family members found a note he had written. Details of the note’s content were not included in the IPD report. At 3:10 p.m., when the boy had not returned home, family members contacted the IPD.
The IPD searched the Chestnut St., East Hill, and Stewart Park areas on Sunday but did not find the missing boy. The investigation was aided by the Onondaga County Sheriff’s department, which searched the area by helicopter.
When the search resumed yesterday morning, investigators found a hole in the ice ten feet south of the State Street bridge. According to the report, the hole indicated to investigators that something had fallen from the bridge through the ice.
The IPD notified the Ithaca Fire Department, the New York State “C” Dive Team, and the U.S. Forest Rangers after discovering the hole. At approximately 10:50 a.m., the boy’s body was found in the flood canal channel between the West State St. and West Buffalo St. bridges.
Autopsy
The Tompkins County medical examiner will examine the boy’s body, which was taken to Cayuga Medical Center yesterday. The cause of death remains unknown.
According to the release, foul play is not suspected at this time.
Archived article by Sun Staff