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Tragic Day At Long Beach: Swimmer Missing, Sunbather Run Over
By
Jen Chung
Published May 27, 2010
Modified May 27, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published May 27, 2010
Modified May 27, 2010
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A swimmer is missing and presumed dead off of Long Beach. WCBS 2 reports, "a 19-year-old Brooklyn man was wading about knee-deep in the water with three friends, but the strong current off the jetty soon sucked all four of them out to sea." Only the three friends could swim, and officials were unable to find Baruch College student Emanuel Tiburcio. Long Beach City Manager Charles Theofan said, "Unfortunately, not even the best swimmer could survive in water that rough and that cold."
Yesterday's hot, sticky day brought out sunbathers and swimmers to Long Beach, which doesn't officially open for swimming until this weekend (which means there weren't any lifeguards). There were a number of calls about swimmers or surfers in distress, and during one of them, Long Beach police officer Paul DeMarco drove his police SUV onto the beach—and right over sunbather Marshall Starkman.
The 43-year-old has a broken spine and was taken to Nassau University Medical Center. He told Newsday, "I'm alive, but in a lot of pain." As for when the incident occurred, "I was literally just sitting on my chaise longue on the beach" while talking on the phone and playing the radio... Honestly, it hit me out of the blue. The only thing I can remember is getting hit. Not knowing what it was. Realizing that I'm alive."
Starkman also says that he didn't hear a siren or horn. A witness said he saw tire tracks on Starkman's chest, "When he first hit him, he stopped. Then he accelerated and went over him while people were yelling. I guess he didn't see him and went right over him. It was just a horrible accident." The Long Beach Police asked the Nassau County Police to conduct an independent investigation of the incident.
Another swimmer who went missing off Jones Beach last night is presumed dead and a surfer in Rockaway saved three drowning teens.
Tagged
beach season
drowning
jones beach
long beach
missing swimmer
police SUV
presumed dead
rockaway beach
sunbather
swimmer
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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