Teen dies after drowning in Rockaway Beach

A 19-year-old teenage swimmer was pronounced dead at St. John’s Hospital after drowning in the water off Rockaway Beach. Photo attribution to IK’s World Trip on Flickr.

by Madeline Heinsen, staff reporter

A 19-year-old teenage swimmer was pronounced dead at St. John’s Hospital after drowning in the water off Rockaway Beach. Photo attribution to IK’s World Trip on Flickr.
A 19-year-old teenage swimmer was pronounced dead at St. John’s Hospital after drowning in the water off Rockaway Beach. Photo attribution to IK’s World Trip on Flickr.

A 19-year-old teenage swimmer was pronounced dead at St. John’s Hospital after drowning in the water off Rockaway Beach. The Fire Department pulled the young man out of the water after receiving a call about the individual near 67th street at approximately 2:28 pm on May 25th.

After searching for half an hour, the teen was spotted by FDNY divers and taken to the hospital in critical condition after drowning for an extended period of time.

“It’s pretty shocking that something like that would even happen. We were planning to do senior skip day at the beach so to find out that a kid drowned while skipping school is horrifying,” senior Adriana Anez said.

The teen was accompanied by two friends, as they were skipping their classes at Newtown High School in Elmhurst.

A witness claims that the teens were “joking around and drinking in the waters near Beach 68th St. in Arverne when one of them was swept away.”

No lifeguard was present during the drowning since NYC beaches aren’t officially open until the following Saturday.

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