Body pulled from Mohawk River

PHOTOGRAPHER: Justin Mason

Schenectady police are trying to identify a body pulled from the Mohawk River on Monday by a pair of kayakers who found the man floating near the railroad bridge by the Schenectady shore.

Schenectady Assistant Police Chief Brian Kilcullen said the kayakers contacted Glenville police to report the finding about 200 yards east of the Lighthouse Restaurant around 11 a.m. The two men indicated they were able to pull the body ashore, according to police.

Firefighters with the Scotia and Alplaus water rescue teams met up with the men about 15 minutes later. The body was brought aboard the Alplaus craft and taken back to the Glenville side of the river amid a driving rain.

Kilcullen said the clean-shaven man appears to be in his 30s or 40s and didn’t appear to have been in the river for long. He said the man was wearing shorts and a T-shirt bearing a logo from the local youth soccer organization “Black Watch” on the front and the number 3 on the back.

Black Watch Premier operates a travel soccer team that is renowned throughout the region. A representative from Black Watch was not aware of anyone reported missing from the organization.

Kilcullen said the body was brought to Ellis Hospital for an autopsy, but the results weren’t available Monday evening. City police detectives are investigating, but Kilcullen wasn’t sure if foul play was involved.

“It’s too soon to tell,” he said.