Tragic Day At Long Beach: Swimmer Missing, Sunbather Run Over

Searchers at Long Beach (WCBS 2)

A swimmer is missing and presumed dead off of Long Beach. WCBS 2 reports, "a 19-year-old Brooklyn man was wading about knee-deep in the water with three friends, but the strong current off the jetty soon sucked all four of them out to sea." Only the three friends could swim, and officials were unable to find Baruch College student Emanuel Tiburcio. Long Beach City Manager Charles Theofan said, "Unfortunately, not even the best swimmer could survive in water that rough and that cold."

Yesterday's hot, sticky day brought out sunbathers and swimmers to Long Beach, which doesn't officially open for swimming until this weekend (which means there weren't any lifeguards). There were a number of calls about swimmers or surfers in distress, and during one of them, Long Beach police officer Paul DeMarco drove his police SUV onto the beach—and right over sunbather Marshall Starkman.

The 43-year-old has a broken spine and was taken to Nassau University Medical Center. He told Newsday, "I'm alive, but in a lot of pain." As for when the incident occurred, "I was literally just sitting on my chaise longue on the beach" while talking on the phone and playing the radio... Honestly, it hit me out of the blue. The only thing I can remember is getting hit. Not knowing what it was. Realizing that I'm alive."

Starkman also says that he didn't hear a siren or horn. A witness said he saw tire tracks on Starkman's chest, "When he first hit him, he stopped. Then he accelerated and went over him while people were yelling. I guess he didn't see him and went right over him. It was just a horrible accident." The Long Beach Police asked the Nassau County Police to conduct an independent investigation of the incident.

Another swimmer who went missing off Jones Beach last night is presumed dead and a surfer in Rockaway saved three drowning teens.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on May 27, 2010 10:05 AM

Comments [rss]

m015094

If you can't swim, don't go in the water. It like these people are trying to kill themselves.

ed11561

Total nonsense. The cop was talking to a girl in a bikini for awhile and when she left he started pulling away-STILL LOOKING AT THE GIRLS BUTT AND RAN THE POOR GUY OVER. THERE WAS NO ONE CALLING THAT COP-TOTAL LIES-ALL CRAP. THAT COP SHOULD BE IN JAIL. IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING HAPPENING IN THE WATER.

LIARS LIARS & MORE LIARS. AND THE NEWS SWEARS TO IT.

just saying

And what about the surfer in distress DeMarco was supposedly rushing to save?

"The surfer got out of the water without injury."

ed11561

DeMarco had nothing to do with any surfer or any person "IN DISTRESS" That's just a BS coverup for his own ineptitude & total ignorance & incompetence.

Gwinny

Ed: you are clearly upset -- and I would be too. If I were you, I would go to the precinct for the beach and give a witness statement. That officer shouldn't get away with what he did, and this way you will have a clear conscience (at the very least).

just saying

"[Officer] DeMarco is not expected to face any charges."

Great. Look, if you have an eyewitness account, you (and anyone else) really should get in touch with the Starkman family and give them this info. Geez, the poor guy was sitting on a chaise longue. It's not like he was buried up to his neck in the sand. It's strange that the cop wouldn't have been able to see him.

Spirit of 76

What kind of moron drives a car onto a beach, never mind an SUV? He couldn't see a guy in a low chaise lounge. Which means he definitely wouldn't have seen somebody lying on a beach towel right on the sand. He literally could have killed somebody. The victim was just lucky the cop didn't run over his head.

nycnewsjunkie

You obviously dont go to the beach... lifeguards, pd, fd and ems all routinely drive on the sand. Lifeguards and pd patrol the beaches in SUVs ALL THE TIME. Not to mention that all beaches arent flat all the time. Just like being on the road there are blind spots on the beach too.

No vehicles on the beach?! If theres an emergency how do you expect first responders to transport the victim across the beach???

ed11561

Long Beach is ALWAYS FLAT GENIUS.And that doesn't explain how u run over a 6'Plus Guy over 200 lbs. in a lounge chair which is at least another foot off the sand.

You don't need 10 SUV's & dune bugges running all over the beach at all. If someone needs to come down-go right ahead-going 10MPH with lights going driving CAREFULLY.

Yur comment was completely asinine AND MORONIC.

hunter.blatherer

I'm with you all the way, Use of motor vehicles (NOT SUVs) can be appropriate in emergency situations. There is nothing an SUV can do (as far as I'm aware) that a beach buggy can't (and they're made for driving on the beach).But they've taken it way to far - any benefits they provide seem far outweighed by the risk.

And not for nothing, but isn't most of their time devoted to making sure you don't go in the water when the lifeguard is gone. Just another part of the nanny state and security theater, writ small.

hunter.blatherer

As a friend of mine once said when told to leave the water..."I don't know you, man." The point being if his friend thought he was doing something dangerous, he had every right to express that. But this other guy just comes out of nowhere and says: the law says you can't do this because you might hurt yourself.

ed11561

I live at the beach genius.I'm there EVERY DAY.There is no reason for the LB police-The LB Lifeguards AND the Town of LB to have all these god damn vehicles on the beach ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S CROWDED.THEN afterwards for hours all these aschmucks were racing up & down the beach oer 4 to 5 hours.UNNECCESSARY BULLSHIT

Spirit of 76

They could do what they always do in settings where there may be people around. Lights, sirens, the usual stuff. And go slowly. Do you see police cruisers just zooming down sidewalks?

just saying

+1

ed11561

Total nonsense. The cop was talking to a girl in a bikini for awhile and when she left he started pulling away-STILL LOOKING AT THE GIRLS BUTT AND RAN THE POOR GUY OVER. THERE WAS NO ONE CALLING THAT COP-TOTAL LIES-ALL CRAP. THAT COP SHOULD BE IN JAIL. IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING HAPPENING IN THE WATER.

LIARS LIARS & MORE LIARS. AND THE NEWS SWEARS TO IT.

Mondiggy

Did you see this happen? If so, that's completely fucked up. Heeeelllloooo lawsuit!!!

grandzu

Or if you can't swim stay the f out of the water.

HughGass

like

hunter.blatherer

If you feel a strong undercurrent, swim parallel to the shore right away. It won't save you in a heavy riptide, but it's your best chance.

ed11561

This has NOTHING to do with a riptide-the water-someone drowning NOHING. This was a dumb cop who was talking to a bikini clad girl who was hanging inside his window and after talking to her,and probably getting her number,he watched her walk away & proceeded to drive over a big guy laying on a full lounge chair.WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING.

He was watching the girls ass as she walked away. He was driving the SUV without even looking in front of him.His head was turned around entirely. FIRE THAT INCOMPETENT JERK & GET THE SUV'S OFF THE BEACH.

hunter.blatherer

Well, since the article mentions riptide, I just thought it could help someone who reads this to know what to do in that kind of current.

I'm really glad you've brought your testimony, but as others have said you can do much more good bringing your account to the victim's family. I hope you do that.

kswissreject

I agree with you about the cop, but you miss the point that there were TWO incidents in this Gothamist post, and the first comment refers to the kid who drowned because of a riptide.