With the heat index climbing, more and more New Yorkers are looking to beat the heat in summertime hotspots like public pools, state beaches, and waterways. But those summertime vacation destinations can turn deadly in an instant. Indeed, a fatal drowning accident in New York claimed the life of one man earlier this month.
On July 12th, beachgoers at Robert Moses State Park (one of the most popular beach destinations in the state) spotted a man floating unconscious in the water around 1:30PM. The Good Samaritans rushed into the water to retrieve him. They began performing CPR and alerted emergency services via calling 911.
When EMTs arrived on scene, they continued to attempt resuscitation but by the time the victim arrived at a nearby hospital he was pronounced dead.
It’s unclear just where the man was swimming at the time of the accidents but his body was recovered in “Field 3” which is outside a lifeguard protected zone. However, that does not clear state employees of liability. If it was discovered the man went into the water inside a lifeguard protected zone, the individual lifeguards on duty and New York stae, their employer and owner of the beach, could be held financially liable for the man’s death.
In drowning accidents in New York, lifeguards can be found to be negligent in their duty to keep beachgoers safe if they knew or should have of a dangerous condition or situation for a swimmer and failed to give proper warnings or do anything about it. While nobody can control Mother Nature, it is their job to watch for signs of trouble and rescue individuals in distress. Distractions, lackadaisical attitudes, and plain carelessness are not explanations when an accident happens.
If you’ve lost a loved one in a fatal accident while they were supposedly under the supervision of a trained lifeguard, you may have legal options available to you. Contact an experienced New York City drowning accident attorney right now. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 today.