WAPPINGERS FALLS – The body of a man suspected to be that of a man reported missing to law enforcement Tuesday evening was recovered from the Hudson River on Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, September 22 at approximately 7:00 pm the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office was notified by family members that their relative, 26-year-old Andrew Tyler Neckles, had not returned from boating on the Hudson River on Sunday, September 20. His body, in his small rowboat with motor was discovered Wednesday morning, near the western shore of the river. The vessel was towed back to White’s Marina where law enforcement officials secured the body for transfer to the Dutchess County Medical Examiner’s Office. The boat was trailered from the scene by the Sheriff’s Office.
Captain John Waterson recounted the search, saying that the “Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol Unit responded to the scene to conduct a search of the river, along with patrol units for a ground search of the shore, however, Mr. Neckles was not located. The search, which focused on the area of the river near the Town of Wappinger, ended at approximately midnight and resumed again on Tuesday morning September 23.”
Waterson added “At this time the scene is active and still under investigation, and the male has tentatively been identified as Mr. Neckles. The Dutchess County Medical Examiner will make the final determination on cause of death and officially confirm the identity.”
The Sheriff’s investigation into the death of the man found on the river is being assisted by the United States Coast Guard and the Dutchess County Medical Examiner’s Office.
A collision between a northbound Metro-North passenger train and a Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office SUV that was parked near the train tracks in Chelsea was related to the search for Mr. Neckles. The collision occurred just before midnight on Tuesday. The under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office and Metro-North Police.
According to Captain Waterson, “A patrol deputy inadvertently placed his vehicle too close to the tracks, at which time it was sideswiped by a passing northbound Metro-North train. Neither the Deputy nor the train passengers were injured during the crash, which is under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office and Metro-North Police.” The wreck did substantial damage to the SUV and ripped air-lines from the train, forcing another train to arrive and take the passengers from the damaged train to another, to continue to Poughkeepsie. The crash is being investigated by the Sheriff’s Office and Metro-North Police.