Swimmer Vanishes Off Long Island Amid Deadly Nor'easter

A search is ongoing for a swimmer who disappeared in the ocean off Robert Moses State Park on Long Island on Saturday. The swimmer was last seen near Field 3 at approximately 2:30 p.m. amid dangerous surf conditions generated by a strong nor'easter.

New York State Police are seeking the public's assistance to identify the missing individual, described as a white male wearing dark-colored shorts. Officials suspended the search for the evening due to darkness and planned to resume efforts on Sunday.

Hazardous water conditions were in effect at the popular Fire Island park as the storm brought waves averaging 18 feet, with sea levels estimated between 15 and 20 feet and swells reaching 25 feet. Winds ranged from 35 to 45 mph with gusts exceeding 60 mph.

Long Island, along with New York City, parts of New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, were under storm and coastal flood warnings. Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for several downstate New York counties, warning residents to avoid water activities like swimming, surfing, and boating due to extremely dangerous rip currents and high surf.

The nor'easter was also responsible for a fatality elsewhere in the region. Leighton Brown, a 56-year-old employee of the New York City Housing Authority, died after being struck by a falling tree in Brooklyn around 3:30 p.m. Saturday. He was transported to a local hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead.

The storm was expected to merge with an upper-level vortex, intensifying its impact along the northern Mid-Atlantic and coastal southern New England through Sunday morning. The storm's winds have caused power outages across Long Island, with nearly 17,000 customers in Suffolk County and 2,000 in Nassau County affected as of Sunday morning.