QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) — The two teenage boys who disappeared while swimming at Jacob Riis Park beach last month drowned, according to the medical examiner’s office.
The bodies of the boys, ages 16 and 17, were found on nearby beaches over the weekend. One teen was found by Beach 149th Street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard on Sunday and the other close to Beach 114th Street and Ocean Promenade on Saturday, officials said.
The swimmers went missing in the water just after lifeguards went off-duty at 6 p.m. on June 21, launching a massive search for them. The teens tried to jump over a big wave and never came back up , according to authorities.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. is calling for the hours lifeguards are on duty to be extended. Other safety measures he wants include extending the beach season beyond early September, addressing the city’s lifeguard shortage and building new community pools on the Rockaway peninsula so that there are options for safer swimming.