17-Year-Old Dies in Rockaway Beach Drowning After Hours

A 17-year-old boy died Sunday evening after getting caught in a rip tide off Rockaway Beach, according to the NYPD and local officials. The incident occurred shortly after 7:30 p.m. near Beach 84th Street, hours after the official swimming window closed.

NYC Parks guidelines permit swimming at city beaches only between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily. Although regular lifeguard duty had ended, additional personnel remained on-site due to a heat emergency plan, which extends lifeguard station presence until 8 p.m. for emergencies. Following a 911 call at 7:38 p.m., more than a dozen NYC Parks lifeguards entered the surf and rescued an 18-year-old male, who was transported to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in stable condition.

FDNY units recovered the 17-year-old from the water near Beach 83rd Street. Despite receiving emergency CPR on the shore and being rushed to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in critical condition, he was later pronounced dead. Council Member Joann Ariola praised the first responders for their efforts to save the second swimmer, noting that the victim’s family had been notified.