A 26-year-old woman fell to her death from a fancy rooftop bar in Manhattan on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
Elizabeth Gaglewski, was seen falling from the ledge of the 54th-floor bar of the Hyatt Centric Times Square New York just before 3:30 p.m., according to the NYPD.
Did Gaglewski Jump or Fall?
She plummeted 27 floors and landed on a 27th-floor balcony below, cops said. Emergency responders found the woman unconscious and unresponsive on the balcony and pronounced her dead at the scene. Investigators on Thursday were still trying to determine if Gaglewski jumped intentionally or fell by accident.
However, witnesses told cops after the incident the woman was "seen jumping" from the ledge after ordering a drink at the bar. Staff attempted to save her life, but she was already off the side before they could reach her, sources said.
"They saw it. They tried to help her but they couldn't," a worker who wasn't there but had been briefed on the incident told The Post earlier Thursday. "The whole staff is traumatized right now."
The bar was closed for the remainder of Wednesday, a hotel employee confirmed. It wasn't immediately clear whether the woman was staying at the hotel or just visiting the rooftop establishment, which claims to be the city's "highest open-air hotel rooftop bar" on its website.
Hyatt Centric Expresses Condolences
The Hyatt Centric expressed its condolences to the woman's family and directed all media inquiries to the NYPD. "We are deeply saddened by the situation that occurred this afternoon at our hotel and our thoughts go out to the individual's family and those who have been affected," Hyatt Hotels Corporation general manager Tom Blundell said in a statement.
"We are working closely with local authorities and all inquiries should be directed to the New York Police Department," the hotel added.
Gaglewski Described as 'a Sweet and Loving Person'
"She was just a good person, a sweet and loving, caring kid," her uncle Tony Smith told The Post. "She was a good, loving, kind girl," added her aunt Janet, who didn't give her last name.
Her uncle also said they were not sure whether the fall was intentional or not and declined to say if she was struggling with depression or mental health.
"We are still waiting to get all the information from cops," Smith said. Police have said they are reviewing surveillance footage of the incident.
The family has now set up a GoFundMe page to cover her funeral expenses, which the page says Gaglewski's mother, a disabled widow, is unable to afford. The fundraises has already amassed $4,800 in donations.
