Locals believe that a surfer's death could have been prevented if officials had listened to their concerns. Surfer and filmmaker Sebastian Lasaosa Rogers, 35, died after getting tangled in a wooden jetty.
Sadly, the surfer drowned after his board got tangled in the jetty at Jacob Riis Park. Locals say they have begged officials to remove the jetty for years, but the federal government didn't listen.
Rogers was surfing on April 12 when he got caught up in the jetty. He drowned. Locals say that the jetties have been in the area for more than 70 years. Locals discovered his surfboard floating in the waves and retrieved the surfer's body. They tried but failed to revive him. Now, locals are speaking out about the jetties. They said they tried to get the National Park Service to remove them for years now.
Locals Hope Changes Will Be Made
"These agencies have continued to drag their feet on this, and now we have a tragedy on our hands," said Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola (R-Queens). "We should not have to wait for a disaster to strike before changes are made."
Another local agrees, saying, "The reality is that these jetties are killing people."
Meanwhile, his family and friends are mourning the lost of the filmmaker and surfer. Friend Chris Westcott took to social media to mourn the loss of his friend, confirming that he drowned due to the jetty.
"It's incredibly sad news as Sebastian was such a kind soul and warm-hearted human," he wrote.
"I've known Sebastian for the last 10 years, as he came out to visit and surf with me in Rockaway periodically," Westcott wrote. "Sebastian was a talented cinematographer, human rights activist, and total sweetheart who put everyone around him at ease with his presence."
Rogers was known for his 2021 documentary The Art of Making It. Locals call his death a tragedy, believing that it could have been prevented. It remains to be seen if his death will lead to changes. But locals are hopeful that officials will listen for once. We'll see if the jettys will get removed or not.
