A group of tourists exited to see the city skyline from the air over the Hudson river got a slightly grittier view when they spotted a dead body floating off South Street Seaport from their helicopter tour. Manhattan Helicopters employee Angel Gonzalez said, “It looked like a bag of trash."
Gonzalez called 911 and cops pulled the body from the water. There were no signs of visible trauma but a Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. In October, a body washed up at the 79th Street boat basin. Apparently floating bodies tend to appear more in warm weather, because during the winter cold water slows decomposition and the release of gases that make the body rise. Gonzalez said that the body was completely submerged, and being held afloat only by its puffy jacket.
