Overview

• A lifeguard pulled the 19-year-old from the water near West 10th Street and Surf Avenue around 3:10 p.m. Wednesday but the teen was unresponsive and pronounced dead at South Brooklyn Health.
• City regulations ban swimming after 6 p.m. and during thunderstorms, but staffing shortages have left enforcement sporadic.
• This incident follows last week’s discovery of a 23-year-old immigrant’s body at Rockaway Beach and the earlier identification of former lifeguard Jimmy Rambally’s remains after a prohibited late-night swim.
• Staffing shortages at New York City Lifeguard Services have prompted public calls for expanded coverage and stronger enforcement of beach rules.
• Debate is intensifying over proposals to extend lifeguard hours and enhance safety education on city beaches.