Crime & Safety

Massapequa Man Remains Missing Off Jones Beach

Search continues after 48-year-old Raymond Roth went for a swim Saturday afternoon and never returned.

New York State Park Police and other emergency personnel are still searching for a man who went missing at Jones Beach after a swim Saturday afternoon.

Raymond Roth, 48, of Massapequa went with his son to Field 6 at Jones Beach for a swim, according to his mother Claire.

“He told his son 'I’m just going in for a quick swim and I’ll be right back,'” Roth's mother said.

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Roth never returned and his son reported him missing around 3:30 p.m. Lifeguards rushed to the area he was last seen, formed two lines and continued to dive under the waves in search of Roth.

The beach was closed to swimmers as Coast Guard ships came and a search helicopter scanned the ocean repeatedly. Police on ATVs arrived and the parking lot was filled with fire trucks, ambulances and police cars.

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By early evening a storm rolled in and only Coast Guard ships remained.

Lt. Tony Astacio of the NYS Park Police, told Newsday [paid link] that the search will continue Sunday by sea, air and land.

Dr. Cynthia Paulis contributed to this report.


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