Man dies after falling in NYC river while chasing volleyball, reports say

Medical examination to determine cause of death pending, police say

A 36-year-old man has died after jumping into the East River in New York City to retrieve a lost volleyball, a report has said.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) said that police observed an unresponsive man submerged in the water near Domino Park in Brooklyn while responding to a 911 call at around 6.40pm on Wednesday.

“The NYPD Harbour Unit rendered aid to the unresponsive male and transported him to the Brooklyn Navy Yard ferry dock,” the NYPD said.

Emergency services then transported the yet unidentified man from the water and transported him to Brooklyn Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

NBC4 reported that police sources said that the man had chased a volleyball into the river.

The Mail Online reported that witnesses said the man had appeared to try and stop a volleyball from falling into the river before colliding with a fence and falling in.

It is not immediately clear whether the man was participating in the game of volleyball.

The NYPD said that a medical examiner will determine the man’s cause of death and that the investigation is ongoing.

The identity of the deceased has yet to be released pending the notification of family members, they said.