A man swimming in the Nissequogue River in Suffolk County disappeared Monday night, sparking an extensive search that extended into Wednesday.
Witnesses said the man was a construction worker who just moved to the area a few days ago, WABC reported. He was reported in distress around 8 p.m. Monday in a section of the Nissequogue that flows through Kings Park.
After searching into the night Monday, first responders returned to the scene on Tuesday morning but still had no success finding the man, Newsday reported. The search included divers, Coast Guard vessels and local fire departments.
Though the Nissequogue is not an imposing river, local residents warned people its current can be deceiving and dangerous.
“I’m a commercial fisherman for 35 years. I’ve seen a lot of tragic things happen down here,” St. James resident Ryan Medwig told News 12 Long Island. “People need to be aware the currents are very strong here.”
The Nissequogue has been the scene of tragedy before. In 2011, NYPD officer Patrick Luca was kayaking in the river with his 5-year-old son when he died in an accident. Luca, 41, was not wearing a flotation device, but his son was and miraculously survived the incident.
