Drowning incidents have surged this summer in New York and New Jersey, with several tragic cases involving both children and adults. Authorities emphasize the need for caution, even for those proficient in swimming, as, on occasion, those attempting to rescue others become victims themselves.
In East Moriches, Long Island (NY), a tragic incident occurred when 5-year-old Mason was found unconscious in his home pool by his mother, Wendy Hammil. The incident took place around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday at their Woodcrest Drive residence. Wendy immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on her son, and first responders, upon their arrival, continued efforts to resuscitate him.
Mason was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center and later to Stony Brooklyn University Hospital in a critical state, where he was pronounced dead the following day. NBC News reported that the circumstances leading to the boy being in the pool remain unclear.
The series of water-related tragedies this season is alarming. Just last week, a 9-year-old autistic boy tragically drowned after vanishing from an Ikea store in Brooklyn, NYC. A teenager met a similar fate when he leaped from the renowned Fawn’s Leap waterfall in New York’s Catskill Mountains a few days prior.
The incidents aren’t limited to natural water bodies. In early August, a heroic 42-year-old father lost his life in a New Jersey canal after successfully saving his three children. NYC beaches also witnessed heart-wrenching episodes during July’s heatwave: two teenagers tragically drowned. That same month, a 13-year-old boy, initially rescued from Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn, NYC, succumbed to his injuries after a dire three-week hospital stay.
Furthermore, in June, an FDNY firefighter made the ultimate sacrifice while attempting to rescue his daughter from a treacherous undertow current at the Jersey Shore.