Rip Current — Southern Queens, New York

2021-05-22 · Southern Queens, New York

Event narrative

Recovery teams found the body of a woman in her sixties who went missing in the waters off Far Rockaway on May 22nd Saturday night. Police said a body was recovered May 23rd Sunday morning near the search site of a missing swimmer last seen the night before.

NYPD and FDNY search teams were dispatched Saturday evening to Far Rockaway after reports of a missing swimmer were made around 9:30 p.m. The woman allegedly stripped off her clothes and ran into the Rockaway Inlet off Beach 17th St. and Seagirt Blvd. at about 9:00 p.m. According to some witnesses, they saw the woman struggling in the water 30 feet away from shore and screaming for help. Once first responders arrived to the incident the woman had already been pulled down and disappeared.

This was likely a rip current fatality due to the likely surf zone conditions and details of the incident.

Wider weather episode

East to southeast ocean swells of 4 to 6 ft likely resulted in rough surf and a high risk of rip currents Saturday Night into Sunday ahead of an approaching cold front. NWS New York, NY Surf Zone Forecast program begin until 5/27.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 975093. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.