Search continues for Berman Gutierrez, who jumped into East Rockaway Inlet and did not resurface

NEW YORK — A search continues in Queens for a missing swimmer who disappeared after an early-morning dip into the East Rockaway Inlet on Monday. 

According to the swimmer’s family, he jumped in to cool off and never resurfaced, CBS2’s Thalia Perez reported. 

Family members identified the missing swimmer as 25-year-old Berman Gutierrez. They said he’s a hard worker who came to the U.S. from Nicaragua almost two years ago in search of better work opportunities. 

Now, those dreams may be shattered. 

In Spanish, Gutierrez’s uncle Noel Torres told CBS2 his nephew came to the beach with friends and a cousin. They were relaxing, Torres said, when Gutierrez went in and never came back up.

Police said they were called to beach at around 2 a.m. near Seagirt Boulevard and Beach 17, where crews scoured the water. 

“It’s a parent’s worst nightmare. So I hope they’re gonna find him alive,” said Janet Schiff, of Staten Island. 

With red flags on the beach today, there was no swimming allowed. The threat of rip currents and shark sightings earlier in the day left some beachgoers feeling uneasy. 

“We thought if we stayed close to the shore and not go too deep we’d be able to get some refreshing water,” said Christine Socasau. 

“I think as long as people pay attention and listen to the warnings, then they should be relatively safe,” said Elena Rabinowitz.

The family said Gutierrez has a 5-year-old daughter.

It’s a tragic reminder of the dangers at the beach — the threat of rip currents — and the importance of taking precautions.

“I think as long as the people pay attention and listen to the warnings, then they should be relatively safe,” said Elena Rabinowitz, who was visiting from New Jersey.

As CBS2’s Jenna DeAngelis reported, safety was top of mind for firefighters battling an afternoon fire and the heat in Hoboken, New Jersey.

“This has been the third fire since this heat wave started and, coincidentally, the same group is working all three fires,” Hoboken Fire Chief Anton Peskens said.

The chief said firefighters stayed hydrated and quickly knocked down the Madison Street fire. Nobody was hurt.

Utility crews also kept busy in the humidity. As Con Edison is working to repair equipment, it is asking more than 103,000 customers in Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Bushwick to conserve energy.

“To help us keep the system cool, so we can make the repairs before anything larger happens,” Con Ed spokesman Alfonso Quiroz said. “You can set your thermostat on your AC a little bit higher. Another possible thing, don’t run your dishwasher. Don’t do a load of laundry until later at night.”

For more on Con Edison’s guidelines, please click here.

Resident Andre Ford said he is on it.

“Instead of using the AC, just use the fan. Try not to use the AC as much during the day only when I’m sleeping. Don’t leave it running all day and all night,” Ford said.