Man dies after struggling while swimming in ocean in Long Beach

A Brooklyn man died Tuesday night in Long Beach after he struggled swimming in the ocean while lifeguards were off-duty.

Long Beach firefighters and off-duty lifeguards were called to the man struggling in the water near New York Avenue shortly before 7 p.m., city officials said.

Firefighters, who arrived within five minutes, found the 30-year-old man laying on the beach after he'd swam to shore. Paramedics treated him with oxygen on the beach and he went into cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, officials said. The man’s identity was not released.

Lifeguards made another rescue 30 minutes earlier Tuesday in the water off Long Beach Boulevard. The beach closes to swimming at 6 p.m., but a small staff of lifeguards remain on-duty until about sunset.

Officials are urging beachgoers to stay out of the water after 6 p.m. when the Long Beach Patrol of lifeguards go off duty. City officials said there had not been a fatal drowning in Long Beach in 14 years while lifeguards were on duty. The city manager can extend lifeguard hours based on beach capacity.

"This devastating loss of life was completely avoidable," Long Beach Fire Department Chief James Jacobi said in a statement. "While inviting, the ocean can be very dangerous. I can’t stress enough the importance of beachgoers not entering the ocean when lifeguards are off-duty."

The city’s beach is open until 11 p.m., but swimming is not allowed. The city closed its beach last year at 8 p.m. after as many as 20 people were pulled from the water in one day while the beach was closed and large parties held on the beach late at night.

City officials said there were no plans to enforce earlier hours this year on the beach or the boardwalk.

Police broke up a party on the beach Sunday night where 2,500 people were having a sunset party with multiple high school students from around Long Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. Officials said most people stayed out of the water.

Police closed the beach at 11 p.m. but responded to a shots fired call after midnight. Two people were arrested for possession of a loaded weapon and an active warrant.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.