NEW YORK CITY(PIX11) – New York City is expecting a larger roster of lifeguards this summer than last, but an ongoing shortage will still mean some beach closures, city officials warned.
New York City’s beaches open for the season on Saturday. The sandy shores will remain open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. when lifeguards are on duty. But throughout the season, a lifeguard shortage and Army Corps work will close some segments of beaches, Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi said on Tuesday.
“There will be still some segments of the beach that are closed,” Joshi said. “But we are confident that we will be higher than we were last year.”
Army Corps work will happen for a short period of time over the summer, Joshi said. It was not immediately clear where or when these closures would take place.
Ideally, New York City would have over 1,000 trained lifeguards on hand for summer, but this year likely won’t come close, Joshi said.
In February, the city announced it would offer a $1,000 bonus to all returning lifeguards who work through peak season, as well as increased pay for lifeguards at $22 per hour.
PIX11 News reached out to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation for additional details about possible beach closures but did not immediately receive a response.
Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter from Los Angeles who has covered New York City since 2023. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here.
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