NEW YORK — A former New York City police sergeant died from an apparent drowning while surfing in Long Island's frigid waters on Sunday.

Jack Shapiro, 54, was found unresponsive off the coast of Gilgo Beach shortly after 2 p.m., police said. He was pulled to shore by a bystander, given CPR, and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The cause of death remains under investigation by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office.

Friends of Shapiro described him as a passionate surfer who also enjoyed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, according to the Babylon Daily Voice.

He spent a decade with the New York Police Department, retiring as a sergeant in 2013.

Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. spoke with NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa about what life is like for the Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann in jail. Credit: Anthony Florio; File Footage; Photo Credit: Newsday / James Carbone, John Paraskevas; AP / David Bookstaver, Clark County Sheriff's Office, Richard Drew, Mitchell Tapper, Don Ryan; Peconic River Sportsman’s Club / Kerry Goldberg

'He will be ... coming out of prison in a body bag' Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. spoke with NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa about what life is like for the Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann in jail.

Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. spoke with NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa about what life is like for the Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann in jail. Credit: Anthony Florio; File Footage; Photo Credit: Newsday / James Carbone, John Paraskevas; AP / David Bookstaver, Clark County Sheriff's Office, Richard Drew, Mitchell Tapper, Don Ryan; Peconic River Sportsman’s Club / Kerry Goldberg

'He will be ... coming out of prison in a body bag' Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. spoke with NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa about what life is like for the Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann in jail.

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