A man died Friday afternoon after falling from the top of the Fire Island Lighthouse, Suffolk County police said.
According to investigators, the man purchased a ticket around 2 p.m. to climb the tower. He made his way to the observation deck and then jumped, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Kevin Beyrer of the Suffolk County Homicide Squad said video shows the man handing over cash for the ticket and later leaping from the platform in what appeared to be a suicide.
Witnesses noted the observation platform is surrounded by a fence about four feet high.
Authorities have not released the man’s name or age. Because the lighthouse is part of the Fire Island National Seashore, the National Park Service is working with county police on the investigation.