Cops: Body of Ronkonkoma man found off Montauk Point

A Ronkonkoma man whose family reported him missing Saturday was found dead Sunday afternoon in the water off Montauk Point, police and other officials said Monday.

The 27-year-old man's identity was not released. His body was discovered at about 3:30 p.m. by people aboard a private boat, said New York State Park Police in a news release. The body was then recovered by the U.S. Coast Guard.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Josh Garsik said the body was nude and "recovered about two miles east of Montauk Point." The Coast Guard did not try any resuscitation efforts, because it was clear the man was deceased, Garsik said. The condition of the body was consistent with "someone who would have been in the water a few days," he said. "He was just floating. He had no life jacket or anything on."

Relatives reported the man missing to the Suffolk County Police Department on Saturday, state park police said. It was not known why he was in the area.

The man's vehicle was located at Montauk Point State Park by park police. Several agencies took part in a search on land and water and from the air.

Besides the Coast Guard and Suffolk and state park police, the East Hampton Town harbormaster, East Hampton Town Police, New York State Police, Suffolk County Sheriff's Department and forest rangers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation took part in the search.

Garsik said the Coast Guard boat had been doing a search about 100 to 500 yards off the shore Sunday morning. "We just try to search as close to the shore as we can," he said.

When rescuers came back in from searching in the afternoon, the call came in reporting the body had been discovered, Garsik said. The body was removed and transferred to the Suffolk County medical examiner's office for identification, police said.

State park police are requesting that anyone with information about this case call 631-321-3700. All calls will be kept confidential.