By Ivan Pereira
After spending more than a month in a coma following a surfing accident in Rockaway Beach, a top Astoria male model died Friday, his family said.
Charles DeVoe, 28, succumbed to his injuries at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, where he had been for weeks following his near-drowning Nov. 12. DeVoe, who hailed from Philadelphia, had been an avid surfer and surfing was one of his many athletic hobbies, according to his parents.
“From a very young age he showed his interest and aptitude for adventurous sports — snowboarding, trick bicycling and most recently surfboarding,” David and Laura Lane DeVoe said in a statement.
Charles DeVoe had been working as a model and appeared in several magazines, including Vogue Nippon and GQ, and worked for famous fashion companies such as Dolce & Gabbana and Abercrombie & Fitch.
After graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder six years ago, he moved to New York and was successful in his modeling career, according to his parents. He also spent most of his free time in the city and on the beach.
On Nov. 12, he was surfing on the waters off Beach 92nd Street and the Shorefront Parkway around 4 p.m. when he went under the water, according to the FDNY. First responders raced to the scene, but he was underwater for a long time, an FDNY spokeswoman said.
DeVoe was taken to Peninsula Hospital initially and transferred to Columbia-Presbyterian.
The waters off Rockaway shore have been known for harsh tides during the summer. In 2009, several swimmers drowned due to the rough waters.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
