NEW YORK, NY – Two swimmers drowned off the shoreline of Rockaway Beach on Friday in a section of beach that had been closed. The two unrelated deaths occurred minutes apart at around 6 pm Friday evening.
The first, a 16-year-old girl, was pulled from the water by good samaritans near Beach 108th Street. She was rushed to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
The second, another young adult was removed from the ocean near Beach 98th Street and taken to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital. He too was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The portion of the beach has remained closed by the city due to an ongoing Army Corps of Engineers project and has nothing to do with the lifeguard shortage being experienced by the city.
After the two fatal drownings, there were two more rescues off the beach near Beach 86th Street. The incident comes a week after two 13-year-olds drowned in Jamaica Bay.
The closed portions of Rockaway Beach are expected to reopen in July, but until then, city officials are warning beachgoers to avoid the area.