NYPD scuba squad schools youngsters on how beach can turn deadly as temps soar in Big Apple
The NYPD scuba team schooled youngsters on water safety at Rockaway Beach on Monday, teaching teens hands-on how to stay above water when the going gets tough in the surf.
'The idea is that if we can humble them, and say, 'Can you swim? Or, 'If you can't swim this is what you have to think about,'' NYPD Detective Robert Rodriguez told a class of about 75 'students' at the popular Queens waterfront park. 'Then hopefully that sinks in.
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5 The NYPD scuba team schooled more than 70 youngsters on summer water safety on Rockaway Beach on Monday.
James Messerschmidt
5 NYPD scuba team members lets Big Apple teens try on their gear during a water safety session in Queens.
James Messerschmidt
'Even if you're a good swimmer, even the best of swimmers can get in trouble out here,' said Rodriguez, a 20-year member of the department's diving team. 'Rip currents don't care if you're Michael Phelps or if you're a 5-year old. The power of a rip current can drown you just the same.'
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The session included a presentation of some of the elite police team's equipment, including an underwater scooter, a water-friendly 'Jaws of Life' device — and some hands-on training.
Cops schooled the crowd — which also included more than a dozen local residents — about rip tides, and warned that panic is one of your worst enemies if you get in trouble in the surf.
5 The NYPD scuba team puts on a demonstration during a water safety class at Rockaway Beach on Monday.
James Messerschmidt
5 About 75 youngsters and 15 locals residents were on hand for an NYPD scuba team water safety presentation.
James Messerschmidt
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'The number one thing is that you gotta swim with a lifeguard,' scuba team Detective Christopher Johnson said. 'You never know what can happen. It's not always your inability to swim that can cause you to drown. You could have a medical emergency.'
And it's not just the beach — the city has seen several drowning tragedies in the waterways around the Big Apple in recent weeks, including two separate East River incidents earlier this month.
In April, filmmaker Sebastian Lasasosa Rogers drowned while surfing at Jacob Riis Park.
For many at Rockaway Beach on Monday, the lessons sunk in.
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'It was really fun, very educational and I think it could help a lot of people,' said 15-year-old Brooklyn resident Kenzo Othoniel. 'The technology was so cool.'
5 Local resident gets a first-hand look at the cumbersome gear worn by the NYPD elite scuba team on Monday.
James Messerschmidt
Lesly Yepez, 18, of the Bronx also took the training to heart — with good reason.
'Last year when I was with my friend I actually almost drowned because the waves got way too rough,' said Yepez. 'I'll definitely try to learn how to swim. My fears aren't gonna take over, because I love it.'
One teen said she also once had a near-drowning experience and had to be saved by her brother and a bystander — an experience she'll never forget.
'I'm not really scared of it anymore because if I go in the water now I'll be safe,' said 18-year-old Treasure Taylor of Brooklyn. 'After that experience, I've learned. So, I don't think it'd ever be doing anything crazy. I think I'll be cautious.'
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