Yonkers kayaker found dead in Schroon
- New York State Police identified Sohail A. Nabi, 21, of Yonkers after recovering his body Monday in the Schroon River near Warrensburg. - Troopers say Nabi vanished Sunday evening after his kayak overturned; divers found him about 22 hours later, roughly 100 feet from the kayak. - The death hit Colgate University days before commencement, turning a river accident into a campus-wide loss.
A kayaking trip on the Schroon River turned into a recovery operation that ended with the death of a 21-year-old Colgate University student from Yonkers. The basic facts are simple and brutal — Sohail A. Nabi disappeared Sunday evening after his kayak overturned near Library Avenue in Warrensburg, and state police found his body Monday. What makes this land harder is the timing. Nabi was a senior at Colgate, and the university is now mourning him just days before graduation. ### What happened on the river? Troopers say they were called at about 8:04 p.m. on Sunday, May 10, for an overturned kayak in the Schroon River. Nabi had been paddling with a small group when the group lost sight of him. They found the capsized kayak and called 911, which kicked off a search that stretched into the next day. (troopers.ny.gov) ### Where was he found? The key detail is how close he was to the original scene. Police say recovery teams found Nabi about 22 hours later, around 100 feet from where the kayak was located, in roughly 12 feet of water. That tells you this was not a case of someone being carried miles downstream — it was a fast-moving emergency that turned fatal very near where the trouble started. (troopers.ny.gov) ### Why did this become such a big search? Water rescues get complicated fast, especially after dark. By the time troopers arrived Sunday night, Nabi was already missing, not just stranded. That changes everything — responders are no longer pulling someone to shore in plain sight, they are searching a river with current, depth changes, and limited visibility. State police said underwater recovery teams were involved, and local coverage showed a heavy law-enforcement presence in Warrensburg on Monday. (cbs6albany.com) ### Who was Sohail Nabi? Nabi was not just “a kayaker” in a police blotter. He was a Colgate student from Yonkers, and multiple reports say he was about to graduate this weekend. That detail is why the story spread beyond Warren County crime coverage. It became a campus tragedy — the sudden loss of a student right at the edge of commencement. (troopers.ny.gov) ### How is Colgate responding? Colgate moved quickly into mourning. Local reports say the university planned a candlelight vigil at Memorial Chapel on Wednesday. That kind of response matters because it shows the story’s center of gravity has shifted — from the mechanics of a river search to the emotional shock hitting classmates, faculty, and family. (syracuse.com) ### Do we know the cause of death? Not fully. Police have identified Nabi and described the sequence around the overturned kayak, but the exact cause of death is still pending an autopsy. The investigation is ongoing, which means there are still unanswered questions about the conditions on the river, the gear involved, and the final moments before he disappeared. (cbs6albany.com) ### Why does this story feel bigger than one accident? Because it sits at the intersection of two very different realities. On one level, this is a local river accident near Warrensburg. On another, it is the death of a 21-year-old senior just before a milestone weekend that was supposed to mark the start of the rest of his life. That contrast is what makes the story stick. (news10.com) ### The bottom line A Sunday evening kayaking trip on the Schroon River ended with Sohail Nabi dead and a university community grieving. The known facts are narrow, but the loss is not — and for now, that is the story. (troopers.ny.gov) (news10.com)
