Police on Saturday identified the two teenagers who drowned on Friday while swimming with friends in Jamaica Bay.
Ryan Wong and Daniel Persaud, both 13, were standing on a sandbank in Jamaica Bay near Beach 96th Street and Cross Bay Boulevard around 11:40 a.m. Friday when it appears to have collapsed and they stayed underwater, police said.
When the two never showed up, NYPD Harbor, NYPD Aviation and FDNY were deployed to conduct a rescue operation.
The FDNY had nine swimmers looking for the teens, according to fire officials.
The two teenagers were rushed to Jamaica Hospital, where they were pronounced dead, according to police.
Wong and Persaud lived in South Richmond Hill, according to police.
Gloria Wong, a relative of Ryan Wong, posted photos of Ryan with his family on Facebook.
Daniel Persaud was 13 years old. Facebook A relative of Ryan Wong’s photos (right) posted on Facebook in his memory. Facebook
“Rest in peace little Ryan, I love you,” he wrote. “You will live forever in our hearts.”
Persaud’s heartbroken mother, Samantha Singh, also took to Facebook early Saturday.
“Our son you left us today I am speechless and my soul is bleeding and our hearts are shattered,” he wrote. “Oh God, I don’t know how we will live today or any other day … my son, my beautiful intelligent son Daniel Persaud, you left your family, my son … sleep well, my prince Daniel, the Mom loves you so much. ”
“You were only 13 and you went out on a beach to have fun and you walked away from us,” he wrote.