NEW YORK – A city worker died amid a boat explosion on the Hudson River in Manhattan early Saturday, May 24. The incident, which occurred near the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant, happened about 10:30 a.m. ET. Police received a 911 call for a person in the water near West 138th Street in Manhattan, according to the New York Police Department. Police officers found a 59-year-old man unconscious and unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and police said he had been on a boat working at the time. New York Mayor Eric Adams said the man was a "dedicated" employee of the Department of Environmental Protection working on one of the city's wastewater resource recovery facilities. New Orleans jailbreak:More people arrested for helping escaped New Orleans inmates as search for 5 continues "This devoted public servant gave 33 years of service to New York City, and our hearts go out to his family, friends, and colleagues during this painful time," Adams said in a statement. "At this time, there is no suspicion of criminality and no impact on the facility. The safety and well-being of our city's workforce, and all New Yorkers, is always our top priority, and we are committed to fully supporting an investigation and ensuring that every possible measure is taken to prevent such tragedies in the future." The Coast Guard responded to a reported explosion near North River Wastewater Treatment Plant about 10:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, May 24, the agency said in apost on social network X. Firefighters were on the scene of the incident, which the Coast Guard said reportedly stemmed from "hot work aboard a docked boat." Videos posted tosocial mediashowed the aftermath of the scene. The Fire Department of New York did not respond to a call requesting comment about the incident. TheNorth River plantis unique in that the roof of the building houses the Riverbank State Park, which has swimming pools, sports fields, a skating rink and restaurant. Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY's Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him atmikegsnider&@mikegsnider.bsky.social&@mikesnider& msnider@usatoday.com What's everyone talking about?Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Man dead in explosion on boat in Hudson River in New York City
