KINGSTON – A 46-year-old Kingston man jumped to his death from the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge Thursday morning, Town of Ulster Police Chief Paul Watzka said.

The man, whom he did not identify, jumped to his death at 7 a.m. A half hour later, the East Kingston Fire Company recovered the body from the Hudson River, Watzka said.

The medical examiner’s office was notified and an autopsy is expected.

This is the first suicide from the bridge in months. Over the last year or so, there has been a rash of jumpers from the Kingston-Rhinecliff and Tappan Zee bridges.

The New York State Bridge Authority, with operates the Kingston-Rhinecliff and four other bridges, last year installed an elaborate suicide prevention phone system on the bridges.

The TZ Bridge, which is part of the Thruway System, took the Bridge Authority’s lead and installed emergency phones on that structure as well.