Man Dead After Being Pulled From Rip Current in Long Beach

UPDATE 9 a.m. Sunday: The 23-year-old man who was in critical condition has died at the hospital, police said.

Original story:

Two men were rescued from a riptide in Long Beach Saturday evening, according to Long Beach Police.

Cops received a call about swimmers in distress near National Boulevard at 6:30 p.m., officials said.

An off-duty lifeguard quickly rescued one victim, who said his friend was still in the water, police said.

LBPD, lifeguards, U.S. Coast Guard, Nassau Police aviation, and Nassau Marine Bureau scoured the waters and finally found the 23-year-old victim, who had been in the water for an hour before he was found, cops said.

The man, who was only identified as a Brooklyn resident, was rushed to South Nassau Communities Hospital, officials said. He is in critical condition, according to Newsday.

The first victim escaped without injuries.

Police said two swimmers chose to go in the water after lifeguards went off duty for the day.

“That’s why it’s so important to swim with lifeguards on duty,” LBPD Commissioner Michael Tangney said, according to the report.

On Fire Island Saturday, Suffolk Police rescued two swimmers from a rip current. And on Friday, at the same Fire Island beach, police and an off-duty lifeguard rescued three people.

For those heading to ocean beaches Sunday, the National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook warning that there is a “moderate risk” for rip current development.

Find tips on how to avoid rip currents and how to get out of one here.