Rip Current — Southern Queens, New York

2022-06-17 · Southern Queens, New York

Event narrative

Two beachgoers fatally drowned at unguarded areas of Rockaway Beach on Friday June 17th. Law enforcement reported that the first victim, a 16-year-old girl, was pulled out of the water off the intersection of Beach 108th Street and Shore Front Parkway. Simultaneously, police reported first responders got the second victim, a man in his late teens or early 20s, who drowned in the waters off Beach 98th Street ' ten blocks to the east of the first fatal drowning. Both victims were rushed to St. John's Episcopal Hospital, where they died, police sources said. The two victims were among five people pulled out of the waters off Rockaway Beach on the same day, the other three distressed victims survived.

Wider weather episode

Two beachgoers in the Rockaways drowned due to likely rip currents on June 17th. The rip current risk was low for the NYC beaches, but moderate rip current activity was reported across the Long Island beaches, likely due to the large tidal range.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1089586. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.