The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a missing person after three people were killed when a boat began sinking in the freezing waters near Breezy Point in Queens, New York, on Sunday afternoon.
The agency deployed three rescue boats and an MH-65 helicopter to the scene following reports that a boat was taking on water just before 12.05 p.m., it said in a statement. Five people—four of whom were unconscious—were pulled from the sinking vessel, with three later being declared dead by hospital medics. A sixth person has not yet been found.
Newsweek reached out by email to the U.S. Coast Guard New York seeking further information and comment.
Why It Matters
Three victims lost their lives during the incident, with two others injured. The search continues for the one person who remains missing, sparking fears that the death toll could rise.
The incident follows a spate of high-profile boating accidents in recent years, including one in Missouri that killed 13 people when a tourist duck boat capsized in Table Rock Lake in 2018. Then, in July 2022, a woman and a child died after a boat capsized on the Hudson River in New York City, with ferry crews managing to save the lives of the vessel's other passengers.
What to Know
Sunday's incident occurred in the Ambrose Channel, which sits off the coast of Breezy Point, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. ABC 7 reported that the vessel capsized and was not close to the shore at the time.
Details about the boat and the identity of the passengers haven't been disclosed.
Coast Guard crew members "administered CPR to some of the unresponsive victims," the agency said in its statement, adding that it was alerted to the incident at 12.04 p.m. via New York City 911 operators.
Four of the five people rescued from the vessel were "unresponsive," according to the statement. Two were immediately airlifted to Staten Island University Hospital and the remaining three were taken to Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook for emergency medical treatment before being transported to local hospitals.
Three of those who were rescued were later declared dead, local news station PIX 11 reported—citing confirmation from New York Police Department (NYPD)—while a fourth victim was reported to be in critical condition and the fifth person was said to be stable.
Rescue crews are searching for the missing person about five miles southeast of Breezy Point. The NYPD, the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and the New Jersey State Police were also participating in the search.
Breezy Point is a seaside neighborhood on the western end of the Rockaway peninsula. The private community, which is run by a cooperative funded by the residents, consists of around 4,300 people living there year-round, with numbers swelling to 12,000 during the summer as the area is popular with New Yorkers who keep summer homes there.
Officials haven't yet commented on what may have caused the incident.
In a Facebook post dated February 6, Coast Guard New York officials revealed how wintry conditions could endanger ships. Staff said they had helped break-up ice in the Hudson River, which can be treacherous to boats.
Sunday's weather was mild but very cold, according to ABC 7, which said falling into the water would immediately put the passengers at risk of hypothermia.
What People Are Saying
The U.S. Coast Guard said its crews were "searching for one person missing in the water approximately five miles southeast of Breezy Point after five people were recovered from a sinking boat on Sunday afternoon."
What Happens Next
There will be a full investigation into what caused the incident, but in the meantime, the Coast Guard will continue to search for the missing person.
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