A 20-year-old New York University student who went missing earlier in the week was found dead on May 15 at the base of a 90-foot cliff along the Gertrude’s Nose trail in Minnewaska State Park, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
The student was last seen on Monday, May 12. His roommate, who noted that he had been visibly upset, later received a photo on May 13 showing him hiking on the Shawangunk Ridge. NYU Campus Safety reported the student missing to state environmental authorities on the morning of May 15.
That same day, a multi-agency search was launched involving state police, K9 units, drones, a helicopter, and personnel from the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. By 1:45 p.m., state police discovered the student’s body below the cliff. Recovery crews reached the area an hour later, using ropes to retrieve the body and then transporting it approximately one mile to meet the Ulster County Medical Examiner. Operations concluded by 8:30 p.m.