Mount Vernon Firefighter's Cause of Death Not Yet Determined

The cause of death of Mount Vernon Firefighter James Drago has not been determined yet, the Westchester County Medical Examiner's office said Tuesday morning. The office is waiting to receive toxicology test results, and that could take at least 10 weeks, an official said.

Drago's body was recovered at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday near the site where Drago was last seen alive, Village of Larchmont police said. Drago, 49, was last seen on June 26 by a friend before he went for a swim off his anchored motorboat near the Larchmont Shore Club. Despite an extensive search by air and sea, he remained missing until Sunday.

The father of three lived in Yonkers and joined the Mount Vernon Fire Department in 1998.

Everyone there is struggling with the news, Mount Vernon Fire Chief Al-Farid Salahuddin said Sunday.

"There are a lot of down feelings right about now. Guys are hurt. There is some sense of relief that we are coming to a point of closure but we had some hope we could find Jimmy somewhere OK," Salahuddin said. "But this has put an end to that shred of hope and everyone is trying to come to terms with that."

One member of the firehouse, Salhuddin said, was particularly close with Drago — they grew up together.

"We are all just basically in our way coming to grips with the finality of it," Salahuddin said. "You will never hear anyone say anything negative about Jimmy. He and I had a very, very good relationship and he was personable and honest. He was just one of the good guys...He was just an all-around good guy."