Queens’ beaches open for summer season

Queens’ beaches opened along the Rockaway peninsula over the weekend. Eagle photo by Ryan Schwach

By Ryan Schwach

Queens’ beaches opened to the usual fanfare on Friday as locals and elected officials celebrated the start of the summer beach season ahead of the holiday weekend.

Officials marked the ceremonial beach opening at the Rockaways on Friday, a celebratory tradition that this year was partially overshadowed by a recent drowning.

Still, when the Rockaway peninsula, the largest urban beach in the country, officially opened to swimmers over the weekend, officials said they were wishing for a safe and enjoyable summer along the city’s coast.

“We are so thrilled to welcome New Yorkers back for another year of summer out of fun,” said Parks Department Commissioner Tricia Shimamura.

Borough President Donovan Richards, a Rockaway native, called his hometown beach “the best beach on the East Coast.”

“There is nowhere in the world quite like Rockaway in summertime – surfers out in the water, families in the sand, cyclists on the boardwalk,” he said.

City officials unofficially kicked off summer on Friday with the ceremonial beach opening in Rockaway. Eagle photo by Ryan Schwach

Rockaway is known for its seven miles of city beaches and boardwalk concessions that have drawn millions of tourists every summer – two million people traveled to the beaches last year.

Despite the excitement, this year’s opening had a slightly somber tone after the recent drowning of 18-year-old Brandon Figueroa, a Bronx-native who went missing off Rockaway’s shores last week.

Figueroa was reported missing near Beach 73rd Street around 3:31 p.m. Tuesday, police said. His body has yet to be found.

Another person who went into the water with him was rescued by first responders.

“This tragedy is a hateful reminder that while our beaches are beautiful, our waters are also unpredictable,” said Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers.

Drownings off of Rockaway’s beaches are all too familiar an occurrence for locals on the peninsula.

They often happen outside of beach hours, when lifeguards are not on duty.

Over a dozen people have drowned off the Rockaways dating back to 2020, according to the city.

Among them were 16-year-old Elyjha Chandler and 17-year-old Christian Perkins, who went missing while swimming off Riis Beach, a section of federally-run beach on the peninsula in 2024.

“It could be your child next,” said Chandler’s mother on Friday. “It’s not a pain that anyone wants to go through.”

At Friday’s opening, Richards and Rockaway’s elected officials pushed for the city to extend beach hours, as well as the length of the beach season into September.

“We've lost way too many lives,” said Richards.

Local officials have also pushed for an increase in swim safety education and pool access in order to broaden the understanding of the ocean’s dangers.

“We love this day here in the community, but it is a moment of tragedy when we talk about a young life lost,” said Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato, who has pushed swim safety legislation in Albany.

This summer, Rockaway’s beaches will be open – with lifeguards on duty – from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.

“Only swim when lifeguards are on duty, be sure to obey any of the red flags,” said Shimamura. “We just want everybody to have a safe summer out there. We want you to have as much fun as possible, but always, always be safe.”