"Dear ALBB: Yes, I was thinking about her. Hopefully we'll get a positive update soon."

Bunny and Mike wrote in to ALBB hoping for a positive update on the woman who jumped off the bridge on Saturday. Mike saw it happen and felt helpless, because he said it happened so fast. Bunny was thinking about her. And they aren't alone. Others are hopeful and waiting.

But we may never know, and that's OK. Part of finding peace is disappearing. Healing in disappearance. In those moments, it can feel like one is all alone. Like they are the only one feeling this way.

But the most important thing to know, is that you are not alone. You are not the only one feeling this way. Or that there is not a solution to the problem and that you are doomed.

I know nothing about the person on Saturday. And I don't need to know. But, I will reach into my own experiences to try to identify with the unknown.

When I was divorcing, it felt so raw. So isolating. So angering. I didn't say that - that I felt like the only one - but it felt that way. My female neighbor and friend who also divorced could sense that. She would say to me: "Other people have divorced. You are not the only one." And I would calm down. My mind slowly coming out of spinning.

During that time, I adopted many self-protection habits. And some self-sabatoging habits.

By the time things got really bad, I was fully armored.

As I described the last time I wrote about suicide, which was almost this exact time last year, I talked about how I slipped into metaphors. How I might wrap myself into Malefecent's strong black folded wings around me, and disappear.

Now that I have made it through some of those phases, I am in a blooming phase. I ignored my yard for 2 years because I did not know where I would be; I was so detached. Now, I call it my Unbecoming Phase, in my Blooming Period.

Yet I still have Malifecent's wings when I need them. I will either "Go To The Garden," and mulch, plant and weed a lot. Or fold up into a quiet place to reflect and watch.

In my dark periods of that divorce period, I felt like I was in a coma. I felt dead. When I went to the hospital for diverticulitis and intense bleeding, I felt like my body was killing me, even though I had not made that choice. There were so many thoughts. So many things being said to me. So many responsibilities I had. So much unknown I was walking toward.

But in my coma, I could feel the hands of my friends. And people who I don't even know. I could feel them. Friends. Waiting patiently for me to wake up. They weren't upset with me. They didn't call me names. They were just waiting.

I started writing poetry and sharing it with my personal social. One cousin called my sister to ask if I was going to self-harm. No, I said. I am exploring my emotions and feeling them.

By the time the name-calling started, I was ready. I was ready to respond: "I know you aren't talking to me. I know you are talking to your own past trauma, and you need to let that out. My armor is on, and this moment will pass."

Some phrases (not the worst, but some):

"You're crazy! Crazy! Crazy!"
Yes. And I will keep moving forward to the space that I know I need to live in.

"Are you delusional?"
Yes. Thankfully, my small-business friends have shared memes about needing to be delusional to dream what you want to live inside of.

"Get a job!"
This public comment on FB was from Terry Amoroso Greenough who works at Antalek and Moore Insurance in Beacon on Main Street. When she doesn't like one of my articles, she flings insults. Terry is a Highway and Police Department Super Fan Girl, so any article that discusses them, Terry’s claws come out. Otherwise, she can be seen outside championing their work with a plate of cookies.

The thing is, Terry's employer supplies me with my business insurance that I pay them for. It was a thoughtless comment. In that Antalek and Moore, the co-owner Susan of whom also now makes public FB insulting comments to me provides business insurance to many small businesses in town. My small business is is not a storefront, but it’s a business. I have payroll. At one time for 2 of us, now only me. I am a reporter; a publisher; a website designer; a face painter.; an advocate.

In 2021 when Susan’s husband Judge Timothy Pagones was up for reelection for Beacon City Court Judge, she asked me to design his website. Immigration issues and Black Lives Matter were polarizing at the time, and while I did consider doing the job, I opted not to, deciding not to get involved with politics. This offended Susan very much, and Tim lost the election. Susan since changed her Instagram name go @notinservice12508. Sadly, our relationship has never been the same. Ever since then, the choice of Susan and Terry to represent themselves the way that they do to the local business community so publicly will never cease to amaze me. And I’ll always miss my and Susan’s friendship. The rest of the employees are so nice.

I'm switching business insurance and homeowners insurance away from Antalek and Moore. I have already done so with car insurance to Progressive (my policy lapsed because I had missed payments). I love Progressive. Their app takes such good care of me. Progressive's app is so kind and encouraging.

Sometimes deep emotional feelings aren’t a reaction from statements at all. Sometimes it’s from a regret. I do something in a moment, and then regret it hours or days later. Especially if it hurt someone and I saw their pain. Regret steams from the blood running under my skin. And I can’t imagine how to move forward.

In moments of discontent, of anxiety, of helplessness, of feeling stuck, I make myself look around. I make myself see one of the blessings I was praying for. And then I tell myself: "Remember, you prayed for this moment, and you are living in it right now. This little corner of the experience that is this life, it came true. Take a breath, and just feel it. You worked hard to get here."

I beg myself to feel content. When I still don't have the thing or things I need or think I need, I beg myself to quiet and feel content for the now.

I journal every day. Every day. I rage journal. I calm journal. I sexy journal. I curse. I say terrible things. Doing so helps me work through.

If one does not have quiet, it can be hard to find these moments to hear yourself and recognize yourself. I also listen to music in my headphones often to regulate me. One of the most valuable things one can do for a person is to provide them quiet with no questions asked. No guilt attached.

All this to say. I discovered my version of a truth, and that is that there are many lives in this life. When I meet someone in the next lifetime, it may be in my 50s from departure from my 20s. Rather than an actual new body from a birth and death.

If I harm myself, like eat an entire two layer frosted cake, I know how to get back out. I have to wait of course, for the sugar to exit my body. Eat carrots. Drink water. Go jogging. Sweat. But I have a way out. And then I journal to myself: "Please don't eat the entire cake again. You don't want to lose the next day recovering."

Some days are sunny. Some days are gray. We need the gray days to appreciate the sunny days.

Don't go away. Stay. You really aren't alone. Our hands are under you. You are okay. Proceed.

Woman Jumps From Right (Westbound) Side Of Newburgh/Beacon Bridge On Saturday Afternoon

Editorial Alert: This article talks about the concept of suicide. The person who jumped was found moving in the water, and recovered onto a boat where CPR was preformed. That is all that has been confirmed at this time.

The call came in to ALBB at 12:47pm on Saturday. “Somebody jumped off the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge on the Beacon side. Don’t know if they found the body yet. Giving you a heads up.” It was sunny with a slight breeze. Perfect weather. Soccer fields were packed at Sargent Elementary. Baseball fields were full at Memorial Park. Main Street felt unusually busy to some who walk early in the morning, but noticed that people had started their Beacon-ing early. I was walking to clean someone’s apartment they were getting ready to rent. When you receive a call like that, everything stops.

This isn’t the first time I got a call from a reader about a person who jumped off a bridge over the Hudson River. It feels like it happens about once a month, between the Newburgh/Beacon and the Bear Mountain Bridges. Last year at this time, on Friday September 17th, 2024, a man jumped from the Newburgh/Beacon bridge. On Tuesday, July 29th, 2025, a woman jumped from the Bear Mountain Bridge. Saturday, August 5th, 2024 a young man was found after jumping the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge. The people come from all over. Montgomery, NY. Clinton, NY. And these are those we know about.

The Westbound lane on the right when driving to Newburgh. THis is the side the woman jumped from, and was found moving in the water 100 feet down. The incident happened after 12pm. This night photo is for placement only.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth

This past Saturday, it has been confirmed by MidHudson News and Dutchess County Scanner Group that a woman jumped from the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge “just after 12pm,” according to the newspaper. According to witnesses, she jumped from the Westbound side, which is the right side of the bridge if you are driving to Newburgh.

There is no walking path on this side. The barrier is low, like a jersey barrier. The right lane is usually closed except for commuter heavy traffic times. It has not been reported if her car was parked along this lane, or how she got to this spot, since there is no walking path. The drop is 100 feet.

At 12:38pm, Patrick O’Dell from the Dutchess Scanner Group reported that a woman was “observed moving in water” who was brought on board a Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) Boat Enforcer 1, MidHudson News explained.

Pictured here is a witness of the incident, a State Trooper, and a NYSBA employee after the incident took place.
PHoto Credit: MidHudson News

“The City of Newburgh Fire Department in Orange County, along with the New Hamburg Fire Department in Dutchess County, and the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, launched their marine units in an attempt to recover the woman,” MidHudson News reported. “The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office responded from the Town of Poughkeepsie with Enforcer 1, racing down the river after a report from Beacon Police that the woman was in the water and alive.”

Beacon Fire Department 10-35 was confirmed by the department to have responded. The City of Beacon does not have a marine unit or dive team.

Witnesses on the bridge saw parts of the incident, and traffic was stopped. One female witness got out of her own vehicle to approach the edge of the bridge (as pictured here), and another person took a picture of her doing that with a police officer and New York State Bridge Authority (NYSBA) employee. From this picture published by MidHudson News, you can see how low the barrier is. It is also quite windy on the bridge.

Patrick O’Dell of Dutchess Scanner reported that she was transported to the Newburgh Yacht Club, where an ambulance was staged. MidHudson News reported she was given CPR immediately while on the DCSO boat, and delivered into the care of Newburgh first responders.

There has been no further release of information from the responding mutual aid services as to the woman’s condition after she was transported by first responders.

Update 9/24/2025: Readers have since written into ALBB asking for her condition. While we don’t know, and don’t expect to know, we wrote this for you in the meantime.

“ALBB: Didn’t You Report That The Rails Of The Bridge Are Low?”

Yes. In August 2024, we highlighted how low the barriers are. That spotlight was on the Eastbound side, where there is a formal walking path along the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge. While there is a high railing, the railing disappears in favor of showing a better view once in the middle of the bridge. One can easily jump over it, or throw someone or something over it.

On the opposite side, which is where the woman jumped from on Saturday, there is no extra railing at all. While that side is less convenient to get to, it is clear that one can drive their car, and stop in the right lane that remains closed to regular traffic.

Is It Time For Beacon To Get A Marine Unit? And For Higher Railings To Be Added?

With this suicide destination of a bridge, is it time the City of Beacon be equipped with a marine response team? The bridge is anchored in and named in part after Beacon, yet the City of Beacon must wait for a boat to rush from Poughkeepsie during a time when every second counts for saving a person.

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal or heavy thoughts, dial 988 to talk to a person at the Dutchess County Help Line. Readers of ALBB who have called it say that talking with them was very helpful. Connecting is important.

Newburgh/Beacon Bridge Railing Too Low - Easy For Jumpers - Pictures And Suicide Prevention Thoughts

Attention: This article contains information about the concept of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm, there are ways to get help. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) (en español 1-888-628-9454) for free, confidential crisis counseling and referrals available 24/7.

After ALBB published about the most recent loss of life from the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge last week, of the young person who was identified as male who was 21 years old, several readers commented that the railing was too low. That sparked conversation offline. Therefore, this article will take a look at that railing, and why it needs to be raised. This article will show pictures of the railing, and will explore what it feels like to walk across the bridge to get to the railing, if that is indeed where people are jumping from. Because this person was not the first, and this is a problem.

Recognizing that even seeing pictures of the access path and railing may trigger emotions in people to either see for themselves for whatever reason, or if people who knew someone who did go over the railing, I (Katie) will contribute thoughts about how to get around and through hard feelings when they come.

As a jogger, I have run across this bridge several times, often wondering why the railing was so low, and feeling terrified to run across it, simply as a runner, walker or biker, since making one un-returnable choice is so easy to do from this bridge. Those crazy fantasies happen about what if one is flung over the railing, or what if one trips and somehow flips up and over the railing, even though tripping upwards is almost impossible. But, that is what the low height of this railing can do to people of mind who do not intend to jump.

Walking To The Bridge

We do not know how these people got to the spot on the bridge from which they jumped. Did they park on the right side of the bridge (if leaving Beacon), exit their car, and simply step off? Since there is no railing on the north (right) side of the bridge when leaving Beacon? Or did they walk down the path on the south (left) side of the bridge when leaving Beacon? If they came from the Newburgh side, this article does not look at that path.

For this article, I walked the left side to get to the middle, when coming from Beacon. Normally I jog here, but for this article, I parked my car at a friend’s house and walked. In this different head-space, I almost forgot how to get to the walking path that leads to the bridge. By the time I got to the I-84 overpass, I doubted myself as to where I was, since I was so near to the exit ramp. But sure enough, that is where the path is.

Cars whiz by very quickly, and the changing gears of the 18-wheeler trucks produce a large rumbling vibration sound, which has them low-pitched wailing as they get farther away. The current of the interstate traffic is pulsating. There is one sign for cars on the exit ramp: WRONG WAY. That if one were in the end-of-life state of mind, one may hope they would notice this sign and turn around. Next, there is a green sign that says “Life Is Worth Living,” which, if I were in the end-of-life frame of mind, I would want to punch for not understanding me, and carry on. There is one more of those signs later in the walking path. They seem totally useless.

And Now, We Get To The Railings On The Newburgh/Beacon Bridge

There are 2 levels of railings on the south side of the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge, or, the left side if you are leaving Beacon for Newburgh. The first is a set of bars, like a gate, that is taller than most humans. It starts at the beginning of the bridge, and continues over the tree tops, where the earth slants down to the MTA train tracks. The railing starts low, then goes a few feet higher.

The low railing before the taller railing once the ground ends to slope down. One begins to walk above the treetops, and the railing goes up.

The railing/Gate/bars at the beginning of the bridge on the Beacon side. The bars are taller than most humans

The treetops below the bridge on the Beacon side. Blocked by the taller bars.

After one walks over the tree tops, which is a wonderfully curious sensation, like you are flying, or are a drone, the high bars that were protecting you suddenly go lower. The bar of the gate lowers down to a railing that is the same height of many humans. Or, if you’re 5’8.5”, it is shorter than you. The railing has been lowered, presumably, to open up the view to cars to see clearly the mountains and river. As a walker, you can see all of this clearly, since the space between the bars is plenty wide.

Meanwhile, the metal walking path beneath you is shaking. The bridge moves a bit with all of the cars and trucks driving across it at full speed. Walking on the right side feels pretty normal, but walking on the left side next to the railing on the return back to Beacon, feels almost slanted. I didn’t bring my leveler and don’t have a leveler app, but that half of the metal walkway feels tilted. Could just be the sensation, though!

Coupled with a large gap between the end of the railing and the walkway. One feels like their leg might slip through it, and then one’s entire body might slip through and fall off the bridge. Which is of course impossible, but these crazy sensations pull at one’s body when walking that close to the railing. I can’t imagine how it feels for a person who came there with the intention to jump. Since there is this weird pulling sensation just by being there.

“But Katie, People Make The Decision To Die. That’s It. You Know That.”

I don’t know that. And this is not why New York State or Beacon or Newburgh of any of these Hudson Valley municipalities should be OK with this bridge being so accessbile by people who are making a decision that may be momentary, or accurate for a few months, or that they may regret. Unlike a drinking or an ice cream binge, that seems like the right idea at the time, there is no turning back from this. Unlike having sex with that first person seems like the right idea at the time, there is no turning back from smacking down onto the water that becomes like cement from that height if one wants to do that. They can’t undo smacking down on the Hudson River Water cement.

“But Katie, people make the decision to die. That’s it. You know that.” This was said to me by a good-intentioned person who wishes no one to die. This is where I want to talk about deciding to end one’s life. And how that is their decision. And those of us left in the living have to tell ourselves things in order to cope with the loss of them here. I’ve read the phrase “Don’t go, you will be missed,” and I understand that sentiment, but sometimes, if someone is in that state of mind, it’s not about other people. It’s about that person, and what that person feels like they can or can no longer contribute or tolerate in this lifetime.

Decisions Are Moments In Time

A friend once told me, when I was feeling down about what I thought was losing an emotion forever, they told me: “These are feelings for now. Things return.” I decided to believe my friend, even though I was convinced otherwise. Turns out, my friend was right. Years and years later, my friend remains right.

That friend has become my Day Of The Week Friend. We are very different people. We see straight on 95% of things. The other 5% is very, very different. But we appreciate each other as our Safe Space. Where we can tell each other deep emotions without fear of that friend reporting us, judging us, and if they do judge us, we know it is with good intent, and we know we can push back if we feel we need to.

Days of the week are important, because each day can mean different things. Making it through each day can be very hard. My friend started as my Saturday Friend. In my 20s (I am now 47 with 3 young children), I decided not to answer the phone from anyone in my family before 12noon. Too emotionally dangerous/slippery. But this friend, I can answer their call at any time in the morning. Except 5am. I am journaling then, and need the quiet. Unless they are in an emergency.

That friend expanded to Wednesday Friend. For no reason, really. I think they just wanted to check in again. Tuesdays became another day for us. Slurpy Tuesdays. Because Tuesdays can be very emotional, as they tend to have less structure than the Go Go Go energy of a Monday (as a small business owner, I love Monday’s, because I am the only one making it happen, so I got to make the money and be jazzed about it starting on Monday).

I say this because each day and moment are different. What may feel real and permanent in one moment, will not be real and permanent in another. Some things will. Like true love you feel. Or certain ideas you have. But other truths are set in different ways. The Past You may know some truths, and the Future You may know those truths differently, after reality is revealed along the way.

A Quick Guide To Days Of The Week

Not sure about you, but this is how I view the days of the week. Everyone is different in their life experience. I work for myself, so my work hours vary. I don’t commute to a job. My job as a writer and website producer is in my computer, which travels with me everywhere. I also produce client’s social media, so much of my job is in my iPhone.

Monday: Yay!! Monday is here again and I get to start this week again to make money. Money is a huge trigger for me. If I don’t have it - if I can’t buy the groceries my kids need, if I can’t take them to Olive Garden like they ask me, if I can’t pay for the Volleyball registration, I get very, very low. I know this is momentary, and I know what I need to do to get more money. Even though that usually involves emerging from a very scary place.

Tuesday: Slurpy Tuesday. Catch up from Monday, but dangerous because there is less structure here. I try not to answer any phone calls from family on Tuesdays. Especially at holiday time in November/December. This can send me into an emotional tailspin.

Wednesday: Ok, how you doing, Wednesday? This used to be a day that I taught a class. I’ve since abandoned that class, but need to bring it back. Great day for laundry catchup at night to stay ahead.

Thursday: Could be a high or a low day. Usually a high, as people begin opening up to get ready for the weekend. But if no structure, this day can slide to slurpy quickly.

Friday: Wow. It’s Friday. Did I complete everything? No I didn’t. Oh no. Usually am behind on Friday with deadlines. Clients tend to call on this day with website or creative emergencies. Usually my plans go out the window on Fridays. It’s also payday on Friday. If I don’t have the money to make payroll, this is obviously a very depressing day. Usually by Friday Night, I have moved through the Dimming of the Day, which is a peaceful time, but a longing time. I’m usually in a missing mood, and hope that I make it to Saturday.

Saturday: Saturday! Disconnected. Most people are not working or sending business emails. This day is reserved for creative things, bills catchup or bookkeeping. Or Kids Sports of those are in season. If it’s Kids Sports season, then this day is very choppy, difficult and usually exhausting. If a bath with Epson salt didn’t happen Friday night, then it should definitely happen Saturday night.

Sunday: Ugh. Sundays are for Main Street errands, the Farmer’s Market, and purging trash and house clutter. Kids Sports Things if those are in season. Preparing for Monday.

Visual Tricks To Get You Through Hard Moments

I have been going through a divorce for 2 years, and pondering it for years prior. I don’t know what it feels like to “come out” for one’s sexuality, but telling my friends and family that I was pursuing divorce was very difficult for me. I was hiding for a long time, and in my marriage, felt I had disappeared.

Low moments can often happen if one doesn’t feel heard or seen. This can often happen from people who are the most close to us blood-wise, family-wise. This is why people speak of their “chosen family.” Sometimes one must separate from their blood family in order to process and understand their own needs, and then lift themselves from restrictions being placed upon them in various ways. These restrictions can cause one to feel hopeless.

To get through these moments, to protect against the hopeless feeling, I do 2 things:

1. Remember that nothing lasts for ever. Good things or bad. I like to believe that the good things morph into the next version of that good thing. The bad or low moments will pass. Even though in that moment, they feel like forever, which is terrifying.

2. Turn myself into different characters or objects. Here’s what I mean:

Maleficent’s Wings: When I thought that “nesting” was a good idea at the end of my marriage (aka still living together in the same house for financial reasons but are divorced), to be temporary until I bought a different house, my ex-spouse was home more than expected. To survive this, I imagined that Maleficent’s large, black, thick, luscious wings were attached to my back and wrapped around me, shrouding me and protecting me from anything coming my way.

Alice Down A Rabbit Hole: When I’m pursuing an article like this one, I often feel like Alice in Wonderland, gathering pictures and information from places I never expected to be. Meeting new people and learning about their lives.

Cranking A Lawn Mower: During this divorce period, my usual mojo has been off. I can’t get into the groove to produce for my job the way I need to, or know that I can. I often feel like I am pulling on the lawn mower crank thing, and the motor is just not catching. I know it can start, but why. WHY. When it does start, I am very thankful, and I mow the whole lawn without turning it off.

Han Solo Flying The Millennium Falcon: When my motor starts again, I become like a jittery broken ship and a pilot at the same time. According to StarWars.com: “Millennium Falcon is a legend in smuggler circles and is coveted by many for being the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy.” When I’m getting back on track, I feel like Han Solo in the pilot seat, working all of the levers and pressing all of the buttons, while some things are springing leaks. He fixes it as he goes, and knows he will be alright, but it’s a scary, yet exciting ride.

Batman and Robin: I don’t have a business partner, but I do, or did, have an employee here at A Little Beacon Blog. During the new time of blogging about Palestine, and how difficult that has been for this publication, thanks to people who are in denial, and to at least 1 stalker who has been walking into businesses demanding that they cut financial ties with my blog, and 1 stalker who takes the time to send a 6 pages letter to over 20 businesses, demanding the same, I had to go rogue. While my employee wanted to stay, I told her that I seem to be driving the plane into the ground, and for her own safety, I must eject her. Oddly, the day before I wrote her this text that I did not send, my body sent me to the hospital with an unexpected attack of Diverticulitis, that I realize know, has been brewing for at last one year. But with the stress of my divorce, these stalkers, and the denial of much of the world who are in power of the murders in Palestine, which bleeds into other genocides and hiding of police brutality and other things, my body couldn’t absorb any more. I may not have wanted to jump off a bridge, but my body sent me to the ER.

Butterfly/Person In Ocean: I have several ocean scenes I embody. On a productive, fast-moving day, I envision myself to be under the water, zipping around the ocean floor, collecting things in my arms. My body travels as fast as a bullet, and can twirl around horizontally while shooting forward. It’s like being a person and a butterfly at the same time.

Sinking To Bottom Of Ocean: I never felt this, but I imagined someone else feeling this way. I let go of them, and they fell slowly into the dark depths of the ocean. They could still breath and see me, but they were gone from me. They were on their own. It was a painful vision for me to have, but necessary for that person to make for themselves.

Treading Water In The Rough Ocean Waves: During my divorce, sometimes I felt like I was bobbing in the cold ocean water in the pitch black night, in angry and busy waves, but staying above water. I was next to a tall ship, where people close to me were in it and watching me, assuming I was fine. “Look how strong she is!” they said. But she/I was treading water as best I could, while cold salt water splashed into my mouth, choking me. The waves kept crashing over my head. I looked up at the people in the ship, and wondered why they thought I was OK and didn’t need help, or a life ring, or a life boat..

I have many more examples of characters or objects you can become. But you get the idea.

And don’t worry, Stalkers. I am exposing you in a few articles to come. You are so proud of your work, so you won’t mind the feature article.

Point Is:

The point is: don’t jump off the bridge. These are moments in time.

Even if someone thinks that jumping off the bridge is a good idea, New York State shouldn’t make it so easy to do. New York State removed the toll booths on the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge and cut those jobs in a few months time. They can raise the railing just as quickly.

We are always in traffic on that bridge. So I know we won’t mind the new construction.

Write To Our Elected Officials

Please write to your elected officials to get this railing raised.
Dutchess County Executive: Sue Serino CountyExec@DutchessNY.gov
Assembly Member Jonathan G. Jacobson: jacobsonj@nyassembly.gov

Police Activity At Long Dock Reportedly Related To Person Who Jumped From Newburgh/Beacon Bridge On Wednesday

On Wednesday morning, while police activity increased for some neighborhoods related to the stabbing of Scout, people also saw police activity down at Long Dock along the Hudson River, where the kayak rental locker stack is, atop the boat load-in ramp area. The dock was marked off with yellow caution tape. Meanwhile, morning commuters on I-84 reported a traffic build-up on the Newburgh Beacon Bridge.

As first reported by Mid Hudson News, a person did jump from the the Newburgh Beacon Bridge from the north span side. According to someone familiar with the event, police do set up a catch location down the river to receive the person if a “talk down” does not work, where professionals will try to talk to the person contemplating jumping.

Mid Hudson News reported that the person did jump, and that their body was recovered by the Newburgh fire boat, who found the person in the river. The article states that the person was brought to the Beacon side of the river, and given to authorities.

ALBB has not confirmed which police entity was at Long Dock. There are several police entities that can patrol or serve Beacon, including the MTA Police, Dutchess County Sherriff’s Department and New York State Troopers.

ALBB Reminder: The Lenape people, who were native to this region, called the river Muhheakunnuk, The River that Runs Both Ways.

Person Jumps In Front Of Train At Beacon Station Early Tuesday Afternoon 12/7/2021

Picture of the train tracks along the Hudson River, formerly named the Muhheakunnuk by the Lenape.
Photo Credit: Twinkle

A Beaconite who needed to take the train to New York City for an audition was waiting at the bus stop for the free LOOP Bus at the Dummy Light on Beacon’s east end, which circles Beacon and a surrounding area from the train station, but the bus was late. She called the dispatcher to inquire and was told that the bus was being detained by the police at the Beacon train station. “There was a train partially in the station and a lot of police activity on the platform. Someone had jumped in front of the train,” the Beaconite told her Instagram family.

Texts began bubbling up as word spread about a person whose life ended on Tuesday early afternoon. Unconfirmed local sources who said they were standing near the person who jumped shared their experiences with each other in a local Facebook group. One train traveler who was waiting on the platform nearby to the person who jumped said that they saw the person, who they said looked like a young man with tattoo markings on his face, put something that looked like a passport onto the platform before jumping in front of the oncoming train. This detail is not confirmed.

UPDATE 11:25am 12/9/2021: MTA Media Relations has released the person’s name to A Little Beacon Blog as Douglas Drucker, age 36, from Ossining, NY.

The Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corp. (BVAC) confirmed on their Facebook page that they had responded to an emergency at the train station, saying: “Earlier today The Beacon Volunteer Ambulance was dispatched to a train vs pedestrian. Mental illness is a very serious disease. We just want you to know if you are feeling alone, you are not alone.”

A media spokesperson for the MTA Police confirmed the fatality of the individual, stating to ALBB: “At 1pm, the 12:40pm [train] from Poughkeepsie fatally struck an unauthorized male at the Beacon station.” The train was delayed for approximately 1 hour, and passengers transferred to the other platform to catch the next train, the spokesperson said.

The Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corp. (BVAC) wanted people to try to remember: “If you’re having a psychiatric emergency we urge you to please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Reach out to a friend or family member to assist you in seeking help. Call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255 or contact the Dutchess County Department of Mental Health & Hygiene. These are all 24 hours a day 365 days a year of help. Please, save and share this information. ** Your safety is important to us and we do care. But please know that this page is not consistently monitored. If you need immediate help, please call 911 or contact the numbers listed above. **”

Blessings to the individual and their family. And blessings to you if you are feeling extra troubled at this time. Go easy on yourself, and reach out to the hotlines and/or to someone you trust.