Two youngsters drowned whereas swimming off Coney Island in Brooklyn as a thunderstorm rolled into the world Friday night, the second such deadly episode at a New York Metropolis seashore in lower than a month.
Two women, ages 17 and 18, have been reported lacking after going into the water close to Stillwell Avenue shortly after 8 p.m., in line with the New York Metropolis Police Division. Rescue divers retrieved two folks, who have been taken to the hospital in essential situation, police and hearth officers stated.
Each have been later pronounced useless on the hospital, in line with the police. Folks on the scene stated a person might need gone into the water to assist the youngsters, however that was decided to not have been true, a police spokesman stated.
The deaths, two weeks after two youngsters died swimming off the Rockaways in Queens, mark a very lethal begin to the summer time season at New York Metropolis seashores, the place drownings have been a perennial downside. With greater than two months remaining, the town matched final 12 months’s complete of 4 lives misplaced.
Forecasters had warned of a excessive danger of rip currents constructing within the space Friday evening. The episode was reported after lifeguards went off responsibility at 6 p.m.; most up-to-date drownings have occurred outdoors the hours that lifeguards are posted, when swimming is technically prohibited.
Final July, a 15-year-old died whereas swimming off the Coney Island seashore, in line with the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s database of deaths linked to tear currents.
Earlier this 12 months, metropolis officers introduced plans to make use of drones to assist with rescues and stop drownings, after a extreme lifeguard scarcity final summer time. The hassle would start in Coney Island, Mayor Eric Adams stated on the time.
