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By Chloe Mayer and Daniel Orton
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The U.S. Coast Guard is still searching for a missing person after three people were killed and two were injured when a boat began sinking in the freezing waters near Breezy Point in Queens, New York, on Sunday afternoon.
The agency deployed three rescue boats and an MH-65 helicopter to the scene following reports that a boat was taking on water around midday, it said in a statement. Five people—four of whom were unconscious—were pulled from the sinking vessel, with three later being declared dead by hospital medics. A sixth person has not yet been found.
On Monday afternoon, the Coast Guard identified the missing man as 52-year-old Vernon Glasford of the Bronx, New York.
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"We currently have an aircrew from Air Station Atlantic City and the Coast Guard Cutter Chadwick in the area," said Sydney Phoenix, a Coast Guard spokesperson, in an email to Newsweek on Monday.
Details about the identity of the other passengers haven't been disclosed.
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Why It Matters
Boating accidents off the coast of New York are relatively infrequent given the high volume of marine traffic and the strict safety measures in place. In July 2022, a woman and a child died after a boat capsized on the Hudson River in New York City, with ferry crews managing to save the lives of the vessel's other passengers.
Other high-profile boating accidents in recent years include one in Missouri that killed 13 people when a tourist duck boat capsized in Table Rock Lake in 2018.
What To Know
Sunday's incident occurred in the Ambrose Channel, which sits off the coast of Breezy Point, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. The New York Police Department (NYPD) said the vessel was "overturned."
The vessel was reported to be a Grady-White boat, Phoenix said, designed primarily for fishing and coastal cruising and a favorite among dedicated boating enthusiasts.
The Coast Guard said later on Monday that the boat was fishing recreationally and departed from Howard Beach, New York, on Sunday morning.
The missing man, Glasford, was on a fishing trip with friends and co-workers when the incident occurred, Glasford's cousin, David Glasford, told ABC News on Monday.
"It was a shock," Glasford's cousin said.
Coast Guard crew members "administered CPR to some of the unresponsive victims," the agency said in its statement, adding that it was alerted to the incident at 12:04 p.m. via New York City 911 operators.
Four of the five people rescued from the vessel were "unresponsive," according to the statement. Two were immediately airlifted to Staten Island University Hospital and the remaining three were taken to Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook for emergency medical treatment before being transported to local hospitals.
Three of those who were rescued were later declared dead, the NYPD said, while a fourth victim was reported to be in critical condition and the fifth person was said to be stable.
Rescue crews are searching for the missing person about five miles southeast of Breezy Point. The NYPD, the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and the New Jersey State Police were also participating in the search.
Breezy Point is a seaside neighborhood on the western end of the Rockaway peninsula. The private community, which is run by a cooperative funded by the residents, consists of around 4,300 people living there year-round, with numbers swelling to 12,000 during the summer as the area is popular with New Yorkers who keep summer homes there.
Officials haven't yet commented on what may have caused the incident.
In a Facebook post dated February 6, Coast Guard New York officials revealed how wintry conditions could endanger ships. Staff said they had helped break-up ice in the Hudson River, which can be treacherous to boats.
Sunday's weather was mild but very cold, according to ABC 7, which said falling into the water would immediately put the passengers at risk of hypothermia.
What People Are Saying
David Glasford told ABC News: "We don't know what to think. We just know that he's missing."
Monday afternoon's statement by the US Coast Guard stated: "The incident began on Sunday at 12:04 p.m. when Coast Guard Sector New York received a notification from New York City 911 operators about a vessel taking on water near Breezy Point, a neighborhood at the tip of Queens' Rockaway peninsula. Coast Guard watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and deployed three rescue boats from Coast Guard Station New York and Station Sandy Hook and an MH-65 helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City."
What Happens Next
The investigation remains ongoing police said, and the Coast Guard will continue to search for the missing person.
Update: 2/24/25, 6:51 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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