Two teenage boys out enjoying a day at the beach drowned Friday after going under water for nearly an hour, police said.
Authorities said the two boys, both 13 years old, were with a group of friends along Jamaica Bay when the two fell into the water and were swept away around 11:40 a.m., police officials said.
Panic quickly set in as the boys' friends and witnesses hurried to call 911 and brings the boys to safety.
A team of at least nine rescue swimmers was dispatched to the beach along with the NYPD's harbor unit, air and sea rescue, and the FDNY in what became a lengthy search for the teens.
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Divers recovered the first boy around 12:30 p.m., and rescue teams raced to get the unresponsive 13-year-old to an ambulance. It would take another 45 minutes before they could locate the second teenager as they searched the waters of Pumpkin Patch Channel. Both were rushed to Jamaica Hospital.
One of the boys was pronounced dead not long after he was discovered, while the second fought for hours before he eventually died.
A sign posted near the water warns of strong current and sudden drop-offs, and a history of drownings at the Howard Beach coastline. Those who frequent the beach say that not many people swim there, and it's more popular with fishermen and kite surfers.
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The circumstances leading up to the boys' fall into the water is still under investigation.
