Found Deceased NY - Heikki Rantakari, 44, University of Rochester Professor, believed to be in danger, 20 Oct 2023

[ifindedout]

Could it be Sister Cities Bridge at the end of Bragdon Place though…? Just had a look at Google maps.

If it is, it seems to be temporarily closed.

Yes, I was referring to that bridge, apologies for the ambiguity.

 

[Seni]

I think Heikki was seen on camera, someone also seen following. Video cut out. Heikki didnt emerge, other person did, but later

 

[LemonMint]

Yes, I was referring to that bridge, apologies for the ambiguity.

No worries at all! I think the bridge was temporarily closed due to some renovations…?

The pictures I found show the railings weren’t actually that high at all earlier at least.

I don’t obviously know the current situation of the railings since I’m not a local one. However, it seems the bridge was still closed on Friday/Saturday last week and I guess there were some barriers at least advising folks not to use it…?

@Curiousobserver, your local knowledge would be highly appreciated.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I think Heikki was seen on camera, someone also seen following. Video cut out. Heikki didnt emerge, other person did, but later

Would LE be likely to lie to the public, though? Rather than release the video asking for information on the possible "witness?" IMO/JMO.

 

[KMouse]

I still don’t understand the ‘believed to be in danger”. I was thinking from a third party all along. What they meant to be danger to self? I kinda think it would have been more clearly worded.

Yes a danger to self. Maybe he had messaged or said something about self harm or has not been mentally well.

 

[JDG]

Yes a danger to self. Maybe he had messaged or said something about self harm or has not been mentally well.

Or perhaps that’s what they ’need’ to say to move a search to a different level.

 

[GuyfromCanada]

OCT 30

Rochester, N.Y. — A professor who has been missing for over two weeks in Rochester appears to have drowned in the Genesee River, reports said.

A video obtained by the Rochester Police Department shows Heikki Rantakari falling from the pedestrian bridge at the end of Bragdon Place into the river, police told 13 WHAM ABC.

Video shows missing Upstate NY professor falling into Genesee River, reports say

Heikki Rantakari, a professor at the University of Rochester and MIT, has still not been found.

www.newyorkupstate.com

 

[Inthedetails]

OCT 30

Rochester, N.Y. — A professor who has been missing for over two weeks in Rochester appears to have drowned in the Genesee River, reports said.

A video obtained by the Rochester Police Department shows Heikki Rantakari falling from the pedestrian bridge at the end of Bragdon Place into the river, police told 13 WHAM ABC.

Video shows missing Upstate NY professor falling into Genesee River, reports say

Heikki Rantakari, a professor at the University of Rochester and MIT, has still not been found.

www.newyorkupstate.com

Body still not found.

(Info from the link in quoted post)

 

[Falling Down]

SCUBA team currently in the river.

UPDATE: RPD finds what appears to be a body in Genesee River near Inner Loop

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester Police have found what appears to be a body in the Genesee River near the Inner Loop on Tuesday. RPD says its SCUBA team is working to verify and recover the body.Officers responded just before 11 a.m. after getting a report of a body. News10NBC’s photojournalist saw...

www.whec.com

 

[Falling Down]

RPD report body pulled from the river is the man who was missing:

Body found in Genesee River was UR professor who went missing

The body found in the Genesee River Tuesday morning has been identified as Heikki Rantakari, the 44-year-old University of Rochester professor who went missing.

13wham.com

 

[tarabull]

RIP Sir.

 

[LemonMint]

Body found in Genesee River was UR professor who went missing

13wham.com

Rest in peace, Heikki
My heartfelt condolemces to his close ones.

 

[starlightstarbright]

Really sorry to hear they have found his body. I just can’t get my head around falling over the railing of this bridge. This is the pedestrian bridge at the end of Bragdon Place as described in the article above. It’s just an ordinary looking bridge with quite high but narrow railings (not the sort you’d walk on, for example). It doesn’t look easy to accidentally fall over. And it’s quite a low bridge, so not one you’d jump from either if you wanted to harm yourself.

My only thought is that the bridge seems to have been ‘temporarily closed’ at the time. Can anyone local confirm what this means? Could the railings have been removed and he went around the barriers to cross anyway and fell into the water?

It just seems a quite unlikely place to have an accident like this. Especially as we might assume (but obviously don’t know!) that he wouldn’t have been out until the wee hours heavily intoxicated if he had flown in to teach a class at 8am the next morning. I’m a professor and I know, me personally, I’d be in bed by 9pm if I was teaching early, especially a full day, as it’s draining to teach and you need to be well rested to be focused and on top of your game.

 

[Inthedetails]

Really sorry to hear they have found his body. I just can’t get my head around falling over the railing of this bridge. This is the pedestrian bridge at the end of Bragdon Place as described in the article above. It’s just an ordinary looking bridge with quite high but narrow railings (not the sort you’d walk on, for example). It doesn’t look easy to accidentally fall over. And it’s quite a low bridge, so not one you’d jump from either if you wanted to harm yourself.

My only thought is that the bridge seems to have been ‘temporarily closed’ at the time. Can anyone local confirm what this means? Could the railings have been removed and he went around the barriers to cross anyway and fell into the water?

It just seems a quite unlikely place to have an accident like this. Especially as we might assume (but obviously don’t know!) that he wouldn’t have been out until the wee hours heavily intoxicated if he had flown in to teach a class at 8am the next morning. I’m a professor and I know, me personally, I’d be in bed by 9pm if I was teaching early, especially a full day, as it’s draining to teach and you need to be well rested to be focused and on top of your game.

If the bridge was closed, perhaps he decide to go "off road" and slipped from the riverbank into the water? I don't know if that's possible in the location, but just imaging an scenario.

I'm sorry for the outcome, but relieved the body has been found and he can be put to proper rest.

 

[JDG]

The poor fellow could also have had a medical event that caused him to fall over the railings.

If he had vertigo, reached for the railing to steady himself but fell over??

I’m sure the autopsy will explain it but that should remain private.

RIP

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

I agree, were someone to fall accidentally, or even to jump from that bridge as pictured, it doesn't seem a deadly distance IMO. I wonder if there was more going on, i.e., intoxication, depression, tumbled headfirst and received a head injury, etc. No matter what, this is terribly sad on so many levels and I'm ok to not hear anything more, as sometimes happens...

 

[Inthedetails]

I agree, were someone to fall accidentally, or even to jump from that bridge as pictured, it doesn't seem a deadly distance IMO. I wonder if there was more going on, i.e., intoxication, depression, tumbled headfirst and received a head injury, etc. No matter what, this is terribly sad on so many levels and I'm ok to not hear anything more, as sometimes happens...

I only want to hear more if he suffered an accident that another pedestrian could suffer if not addressed. Other than that, I think the case is closed. jmo

 

[Falling Down]

If the bridge was closed, perhaps he decide to go "off road" and slipped from the riverbank into the water? I don't know if that's possible in the location, but just imaging an scenario.

I'm sorry for the outcome, but relieved the body has been found and he can be put to proper rest.

There's a shear rock face on both sides, bedrock. Probably 20 or so foot drop, depending on river height.

 

[Inthedetails]

There's a shear rock face on both sides, bedrock. Probably 20 or so foot drop, depending on river height.

Could he have been exploring there?

BTW, it's been great to have local insight on this case.

jmo

 

[azure]

Could he have been exploring there?

BTW, it's been great to have local insight on this case.

jmo

It seems strange for LE to say,

Investigators obtained video evidence from early Saturday that showed Heikki Rantakari, 44, falling from the pedestrian bridge

if Heikki did not in fact fall from the pedestrian bridge.