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Graceline Ilogene, a 15-year-old girl from the Upper East Side who went missing last week, was found dead in the East River on Friday afternoon, police said.
Her body was recovered around 12:30 p.m. by the NYPD Harbor Unit near Roosevelt Island, nearly a week after she was swept away by the river’s powerful current. The teen had reportedly been sitting on rocks near the water when she entered—some accounts say she was dipping her feet, while others suggest she may have slipped and fallen.
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A friend who was with her reportedly urged her to get out of the water, reminding her she couldn’t swim. But the current was already too strong. A 911 call was placed around 12:15 p.m. on May 30, triggering an extensive search by emergency crews.
Investigators found a backpack and other personal belongings—books, a jacket, and sneakers—believed to be Ilogene’s near the scene of her disappearance.
Authorities say there is no indication of foul play, and the incident is being treated as an accident. The city’s Medical Examiner is working to determine the official cause of death.
Ilogene lived with her mother on the Upper East Side. Neighbors described them as a quiet, close-knit pair. “They were very quiet. It’s sad,” one neighbor told the New York Post. “She was very young, and not much experience in life,” another said.
Graceline’s body was one of three found in the East River on Friday.
Earlier that morning, police responded to a 911 call about an unconscious man in the water near the Brooklyn Bridge around 6 a.m. He was pulled from the river and pronounced dead at the scene. That evening, around 7 p.m., another man was found floating near East 34th Street and the FDR Drive. He was taken to Pier 16, where he too was pronounced dead.
The identities of the two men have not yet been released, and investigations into both cases are ongoing. Autopsies will be conducted to determine the causes of death.
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