Long Beach drowning still a mystery

The circumstances surrounding the death of a 39-year-old man pulled from the surf in Long Beach remain a mystery.

Long Beach police Deputy Insp. Bruce Meyer said Monday the victim's identification will not be released until relatives are notified. Meyer said investigators have been unable to reach the man's next of kin.

The man was pulled from the surf Saturday in Long Beach after he stripped to his underwear and went into the water at about 4:11 p.m., Long Beach Fire Chief Richard Corbett said over the weekend. He was pronounced dead that night.

The man was wearing a suit jacket, which he took off and placed on a bench at the boardwalk along with his bag, Corbett said. His pants were found yards away, folded on the sand near the water. Rescuers were called after witnesses saw the man go into the water next to the jetties at Edwards Boulevard and not come back out.

In addition to the Long Beach Fire Department, units from the Island Park and Freeport fire departments, and members of the Atlantic Beach Rescue team, Nassau County Police Aviation and Marine units, and the U.S. Coast Guard went to the scene of the missing swimmer, Corbett said.

The man was found about 30 minutes after the search began and pulled from the ocean in cardiac arrest. He was taken to Long Beach Medical Center via Island Park ambulance with Long Beach Fire Department paramedics on board, Corbett said.