The body of a missing Far Rockaway man was found floating Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 9, in the Broad Channel off Lawrence, Long Island, according to the Nassau County Police Department.
A caller to 911 reported seeing a body floating in the water and several units responded including Nassau County Aviation, Hempstead Bay Constable, and Long Beach Fire Department. The body was recovered at the scene at 5:40 p.m.
After family members identified victim on Aug. 10, the Nassau County Homicide Squad announced it was the body of 30-year-old Berman Guttierez who went swimming off Beach 13th Street in Far Rockaway at around 2 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 7, and disappeared under the waves. NYPD and FDNY marine units conducted search and recovery missions for two days but the treacherous currents of the Atlantic Ocean swept the victim more than seven miles away.
As the search for the latest drowning victim in the Rockaways was still underway Tuesday, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato held a water safety class for kids on the boardwalk at Beach 97th Street with members of the NYPD Scuba Unit and the Community Affairs Bureau.
“Everyone must learn about water safety — whether you come to the beach for just one day or have lived near it your whole life,” Amato said. “Partnerships like these that bring experts, especially the NYPD Scuba Team, to a wide audience are a great tool for us to use. Water safety is lifesaving, from lessons on dry land to interactive ones in the water. I’m so thankful for the NYPD as they continue to show their firm commitment to protecting our children and keeping all of us safe and secure.”
