Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Queens Man Dies After Jumping Off Of Booze Cruise
By
David Colon
Published Aug 21, 2016
Modified Aug 21, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
David Colon
Published Aug 21, 2016
Modified Aug 21, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A Queens man who jumped off of a booze cruise into Flushing Bay early this morning and was pulled back on to the boat by the crew died shortly afterwards, according to police.
A police spokesman said the NYPD responded to a radio call about a male in the water off the coast of Rikers Island at about 2:10 a.m. on Sunday morning. When they arrived on the scene, officers found a 56-year-old man unconscious and unresponsive on the Skyline Princess. The man was taken by the harbor unit to a nearby NYPD pier and then rushed by EMS to Flushing Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The spokesman said that before police arrived, the man jumped a railing and slid down the side of the boat into the water. The boat's crew threw him a life preserver, but he ignored it and grabbed on to the ship's exhaust, which caused burns to his hands and his chest. Once he was pulled back on to the ship, he became combative and was handcuffed by the boat's security. Police found him facedown and unresponsive when they arrived, and after moving him on to the harbor unit boat, officers attempted to revive the man with CPR.
The medical examiner is still determining the cause of the man's death and the police investigation into the incident is continuing. Gothamist has reached out to Skyline Cruises for comment and will update if we hear back.
Tagged
booze cruise
queens
skyline princess
David Colon
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
22 NYC food pantries to start offering pet food
Pantries cite growing demand for pet food as owners struggle to feed themselves and their pets.
By
Karen Yi
Published Oct 13, 2026 at 2:01 p.m. ET
Woman whose body was found in Brooklyn garbage can was strangled, medical examiner says
Police hadn't previously ruled the woman's death a homicide, pending the medical examiner ruling.
By
Charles Lane
News
Woman whose body was found in Brooklyn garbage can was strangled, medical examiner says
Police hadn't previously ruled the woman's death a homicide, pending the medical examiner ruling.
By
Charles Lane
New York Public Radio CEO steps down after 8 months on job
By
Liam Quigley
Early Addition: Can't stop the sticker bombers
By
James Ramsay
Cyclist dies in wrong-way crash with an ambulance on Staten Island
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .