A man died after he jumped from Long Island’s Fire Island Lighthouse on Friday afternoon as the tourist hotspot prepared to mark the unofficial end of summer.
The victim, whose identity has not been revealed, plunged to his death from the prominent landmark’s observation deck around 1:45 p.m., according to the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD).
“Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives, in conjunction with the National Park Service, are investigating the death of a man who jumped from the Fire Island Lighthouse this afternoon,” the SCPD said on Friday.
Police did not reveal information about the person’s name or age.
Authorities said they’ve obtained footage showing the man approach the 167-year-old lighthouse, purchase a ticket to access the tower, and then jump off, NBC New York reported.
The tragedy shut down the structure — the tallest lighthouse on Long Island — just before the unofficial end of summer, when New Yorkers flock to the beach during Labor Day weekend.
“The lighthouse is temporarily closed until further notice,” officials from the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society confirmed in a Facebook post.
The society that oversees the iconic landmark said the lighthouse would remain closed on Saturday, but reopen on Sunday.
The Fire Island Lighthouse has been a staple on Long Island for over a century.
The structure was “lit for the first time” in 1858 and remodeled to have its current iconic alternating black and white bands in 1891, according to the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society.
The lighthouse stands at 168 feet tall and boasts that visitors can “see the New York City skyline” from the top of the tower.
Friday’s incident happened nearly one week after a North Carolina pastor, who was vacationing with his family, drowned approximately 2.5 miles away in Sailors Haven, according to a press release from the SCPD.
Ishmoile Mohammed, 59, was swimming in the ocean when a powerful rip current pulled him west on Aug. 23.
“They were having a good old time. They were coming out of the water … and a rip current took him … His nephew turned to look and he was gone, just like that,” Pastor Rodney Camps of Love City Church in Pineville, N.C. said during a church service one day after the tragedy, according to Newsday.
Lifeguards rescued him from the water and he was airlifted to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, where he was pronounced dead.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
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