Two teens drowned in Coney Island surf
Coney Island Beach. Photo: Kathy Willens/AP
CONEY ISLAND — TWO TEENAGE GIRLS drowned off of Coney Island on Friday after being caught in rough weather, reports CBS News. Aisha Mohammed, 18, and Zainab Mohammed, 17, were standing in shallow water on the beach during a rainstorm around 8 p.m. when the wind and currents suddenly became heavier, according to the family, dragging the teens — who did not know how to swim — out to sea. The girls’ cousin, Shareef Mohammed, was also swept out and able to be saved, but rescuers struggled to reach Aisha and Zainab, pulling them from the water 90 minutes later. The teens were rushed to Coney Island Hospital in critical condition before later being pronounced dead.
Some witnesses earlier told ABC News that the girls had gotten out of the water and reentered during the rainstorm, but the family disputes this. A funeral and prayer service for Aisha and Zainab is planned.
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