Public Affairs Detachment New York
U.S. Coast Guard

Date: July 26, 2008 
Public Affairs
(212) 668-7114

Press Release

SEARCH SUSPENDED FOR MISSING SWIMMER AT LONG BEACH, N.Y. 

NEW YORK-The search for an 18-year-old male swimmer near Riverside Blvd. in Long Beach, N.Y., was suspended pending further information at 5 p.m. today.

"Making the decision to suspend the search is one of the hardest decisions a sector commander will ever make," said Capt. Daniel Ronan, commander of Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound. "Despite an aggressive search by both Coast Guard and local agencies that entailed well over 100-hours of combined searching, we were unable to locate the missing swimmer."

A nearby lifeguard spotted two swimmers in distress who were reportedly caught in a rip tide around 6:20 p.m. Friday evening. The lifeguard pulled one of the swimmers from the water and alerted Nassau County Fire Department for assistance.

Rescue crews from Coast Guard Station Jones Beach, Nassau County Police Department Marine and Long Beach Fire Department Marine searched for the swimmer via water, while helicopters from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City and Nassau County Police conducted aerial searches.

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*U.S. Coast Guard, saving lives since 1790*