NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A man was rescued from the waters off the Rockaways on Thursday evening while swimming after hours, according to NYC's Office of Emergency Management.
The rescue occurred at approximately 7 p.m., at Rockaway Beach in Queens after the beach's official swimming hours, which end at 6 p.m. City Park Department employees noticed a distressed swimmer and notified lifeguards.
Drone teams were also in place and spotted the distressed swimmer. Responding quickly, lifeguards pulled the 32-year-old man from the water. He was found conscious and breathing and was later released.
"Thank you to ALL our lifeguards keeping New Yorkers safe every day," Mayor Eric Adams wrote on X.
"One of the things we did last year, after there was a shark bite out in the Rockaways, is we put together a beach safety task force," Zach Iscol, commissioner of NYC Emergency Management, told 1010 WINS/WCBS 880. "Whether it's monitoring for marine wildlife or promoting other beach safety aspects, that beach safety task force was out there last night."
Iscol explained that the task force includes extended hours for lifeguards, along with additional FDNY, NYPD, and emergency management personnel, especially during periods of high heat.
"It is really not safe to be swimming after 6 p.m," Iscol said. "It's not safe, not just because of whether or not there are lifeguards in chairs, but because it starts to become darker. It is towards the end of the day. If there are no lifeguards on duty, don't swim. Don't swim after hours."
In light of the ongoing heat advisory, Iscol suggested several ways for New Yorkers to beat the heat without resorting to swimming after hours. He encouraged residents to visit cooling centers, enjoy city pools, and make use of cool spaces around the city, such as museums and coffee shops. More information on staying cool during heat advisories can be found at NYC.gov/beat-the-heat.
Gary Sowder contributed to this report.
