Rip Current — Southern Queens, New York
June 21, 2024 · NOAA Storm Events record
Event narrative (NOAA)
Shortly after 6 p.m. after lifeguards had left for the day, Christian Perkins, who had just turned 17 the week before, and 16-year-old Elyjha Chandler, went into the ocean near Bay 2 in Riis Park, to cool off during the heatwave. The boys did not know how to swim. Witnesses say the teens tried to jump up when a large wave came, but the wave consumed them, and they never resurfaced. By 6:35 p.m., 911 calls were made to report the missing boys. The call resulted in a massive rescue response that included FDNY Marine Units and divers, NYPD Harbor Units, NYPD Harbor Base Divers, and Coast Guard and water teams from Sandy Hook, Cape Cod and Atlantic City. They searched for the boys until darkness fell on Friday, with no sight of them. They resumed the search the next day, until the search was s
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Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.