Surfer dies following rescue attempt in frigid Long Island water

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.