Two Nigerian teenage sisters have drowned while swimming at Coney Island Beach in Brooklyn, New York.
Aisha Mohammed, 18, and Zainab Mohammed, 17, who lived in the Bronx, were reported missing on the evening of July 5 after entering the water near Stillwell Avenue and Boardwalk West. According to the NYPD, the incident occurred around 8 p.m. when the sisters disappeared from sight while swimming.
Witnesses told WABC-TV that a rainstorm had begun, prompting most beachgoers to seek shelter. However, Aisha and Zainab entered the turbulent waters despite a man’s attempt to stop them. The man, who was unable to swim, did not appear to know the sisters.
The sisters had been spending the day at the beach with six cousins, according to a family member.
Emergency responders received a call for a water rescue around 8:10 p.m. Police, along with aviation, harbor, and scuba units, arrived at the scene to search for the missing teens. Divers eventually found the young women an hour later and pulled them from the water.
Both were transported to NYC Health and Hospitals/Coney Island, where they were pronounced dead.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
A funeral service for Aisha and Zainab Mohammed was held on Tuesday, July 9, at 9:30 a.m. at the Yankasa Masjid Mosque.
Leave a Reply