State police continued to search for his body in the Hudson River on Friday.

A car registered to Friedman was found at the entrance to the bridge and video surveillance camera shows a man tentatively identified as Friedman walking to the middle of the span and jumping, state police Senior Investigator Brian Hoff said.

"Daniel Friedman's whereabouts are unknown," Hoff said. "We suspect that it's him but we're still searching."

Hoff said the divers and boats searched the water from about 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. Friday, and the site also was viewed from the sky.

"We're going to meet with Daniel Friedman's family," Hoff said. "We're sending boats back, with sonar."

Rockland Sheriff Louis Falco said his office is working with the state police. He said the case is difficult for him since he knew Friedman personally.

"I am distraught," Falco said. "He was a good guy."

Many also expressed shock as the news filtered out.

"Daniel was a loyal and true friend," Ramapo Councilman Patrick Withers said. "My family and I loved him and are heartbroken at this news. He was smart, had a witty sense of humor and was always kind He was a hard working and dedicated public servant."

Friedman left his mark with his colleagues in politics and in government.

“Daniel Friedman was a valued member of our staff whose talents and intelligence, good humor and strong work ethic set him apart," Rockland Legislature Chairman Alden Wolfe, D-Montebello, said. “We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and loved ones on this terrible loss.”

Rockland County Executive Ed Day said Friedman worked for the people of the county.

"I am stunned and saddened by the sudden loss of one of our colleagues in the Legislature," Day said. "While we may have been at the opposite sides of the political spectrum, I can say unequivocally that in his role at the Legislature, Daniel put politics aside and always worked for the good of the people of Rockland. May his memory be for a blessing."

Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence said he learned about Friedman's death on Friday morning.

"I am deeply sadden by this tragic loss," St. Lawrence said. "Daniel Friedman has a great mind. He did a lot great work for the town and the Legislature. He was someone so young."

He said the news made doing his weekly radio show and going about town business difficult.

"I couldn't function," St. Lawrence said. "Why this happens is always the question. I am thinking of his mother and father and his family. My heart aches for them."

Friedman, a Democrat, was appointed to the Ramapo Town Board in April 2010 to succeed Edward Friedman, who was no relation and had died.

He lost a Democratic Party primary in 2015 to Samuel Tress, a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals. Tress was backed by the town Democrats and St. Lawrence, but was forced to resign this year - only months after taking office - after pleading guilty to a corruption charge tied to his actions as a ZBA member.

Friedman claimed to be the youngest elected official in Rockland County in 2010 and the town's youngest councilman in history.

He made a run for Spring Valley mayor in a Democratic Party primary in 2013, finishing behind Mayor Noramie Jasmin and trustees Demeza Delhomme and Vilair Fonvil. He endorsed Delhomme in the November race.

As a Town Board member, Friedman used his public administration education to focus on consolidation issues in Ramapo and Spring Valley, specifically the fire districts.

Friedman also proposed and passed several pieces of green legislation reducing energy use and costs, particularly by replacing the municipal fleet with a hybrid fleet. He supported the town baseball stadium, a controversial project tied to later corruption charges.

Friedman often reached out to directly to residents by holding his own public meetings at village halls across the town.

After years of voting with St. Lawrence, he broke with the supervisor several years ago, calling for investigation into town finances along with Withers.

Spring Valley Fire Department Fire Police Capt. Justin Schwartz credited Friedman for working hard for the taxpayers and trying to consolidate fire department services. Friedman unveiled the plan in December 2010.

Friedman helped Ramapo get a $45,000 grant to develop an implementation plan for consolidating the Park Crest Fire Protection District, the West Spring Valley Fire District and Spring Valley Fire District No. 1 into a joint Town of Ramapo/Village of Spring Valley Fire Department.

"He was a good guy and a dedicated public servant," Schwartz said. "He tried to do the right thing. I am shocked."

Friedman, who became an elected official at age 24, earned his bachelor’s degree in government in 2008, and his master's degree in public administration in 2010 from Pace University.

He first became involved in government at 15, when he interned for the New York State Assembly. He also had served as president of the Rockland County Chapter of the Young Democrats of America. He also taught history and government classes as an adjunct professor at Rockland Community College and Pace University

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