Missing UES Man Found Dead In East River, Police Say

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A man who was found dead in the East River has been identified as an Upper East Side resident who was reported missing, police said.

An NYPD harbor unit was patrolling the East River on Sunday, April 27 when the boat came upon a man's body near the Brooklyn Bridge, police said. Officers on the boat recovered the man's body and brought him to Pier 16 where EMS pronounced him dead, police said. The man had been fully clothed and showed no signs of trauma.

On Thursday, police announced that the man was identified as 77-year-old Hartmut Munker of the Upper East Side. Munker was reported missing after being last seen leaving his East 61st Street and Third Avenue building on April 8.

The NYPD issued a "silver alert" for the man, and said that he suffers from depression and anxiety. When he was reported missing, police said that Munker often volunteers in Central Park.

The NYPD did not say how they believe Munker ended up in the East River. The city Medical Examiner will investigate to determine the man's official cause of death.