The NYPD has confirmed that the body pulled from the water off the Rockaways is 18-year-old Brandon Figueroa of the Bronx. Figueroa had been missing since May 19, when he went into rough surf at Rockaway Beach while with friends. Crews recovered a body along the shoreline near Rockaway Point Boulevard and Beach 222nd Street on May 30, and his family says it was him.
Recovery at Breezy Point
Officers found an unresponsive male along the shoreline near Rockaway Point Boulevard and Beach 222nd Street, where the NYPD Emergency Service Unit removed him from the water and EMS pronounced him dead at the scene, according to News 12. Family members identified him as Brandon Figueroa, and the Office of Chief Medical Examiner will make the official ruling on his cause of death.
How the search unfolded
Figueroa was first reported missing on May 19 after entering the ocean near Beach 73rd Street and Shore Front Parkway, where strong currents reportedly swept swimmers out from shore, NY1 reported. Police and fire crews mounted an extensive search using divers, marine units, drones and NYPD helicopters. Operations were suspended overnight, then resumed, as relatives and friends waited along the beach. Witnesses and community groups also pointed out that lifeguards were not yet on duty there because full seasonal coverage had not started.
Family, school and reaction
Relatives said Figueroa was an 18-year-old senior at the Urban Assembly Bronx Academy of Letters and was set to graduate next month. His mother wrote on a GoFundMe page that his body had been found, according to News 12. Friends, classmates and neighbors have been posting tributes online, and the family is now working on funeral arrangements while investigators continue their work.
Open-water danger at Rockaway
Officials have repeatedly warned that Atlantic-facing beaches like the Rockaways can produce powerful rip currents that catch swimmers off-guard. Forecasters had issued a High Rip Current Risk for parts of the Memorial Day period, a setup that can overpower even strong swimmers, per deadly rip currents. The city typically assigns lifeguards from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the summer season, and local safety advocates are pushing for more swim education and clearer warnings at stretches of shoreline without guards.
What’s next
The NYPD says its investigation remains active, and the Office of Chief Medical Examiner will release formal findings after its examination. Authorities have asked anyone who may have video or other information to contact detectives, according to PIX11. Community leaders and school officials have offered condolences as classmates and neighbors mourn a student widely described as hardworking and driven.
