A tragic incident unfolded over the Fourth of July weekend at Coney Island Beach, claiming the lives of two beloved teenage sisters, Aisha Mohammed, 18, and Zainab Mohammed, 17, from the Bronx. The sisters, who were originally from Ghana but had spent most of their lives in New York City, had ventured to the beach for what was supposed to be a fun outing with family and friends.
According to reports from the NYPD, the sisters were reported missing around 8:10 p.m. on Friday near Stillwell Avenue in Brooklyn. Witnesses stated that the girls had entered the water for their last swim of the day when they suddenly disappeared from view. A frantic search ensued, involving lifeguards and emergency responders scouring the shoreline.
Tragically, the teens were found on the shore at approximately 9:15 p.m. Despite efforts to revive them, they were pronounced dead upon arrival at Coney Island Hospital, leaving their family and community devastated.
Speaking to The Post, their uncle Tahir Mohammed, 48, expressed the family’s profound grief: “They were just trying to have fun out there. They thought they were going to have their last swim and come out.” The sisters’ mother, Tani Ibrahim Ali, was inconsolable, unable to speak, and surrounded by grieving relatives at their grandmother’s home in the Bronx.
Further details revealed that Aisha had bravely attempted to rescue her younger sister Zainab when she noticed her struggling in the ocean. Despite the efforts of their cousin and other beachgoers to assist, the strong currents and sudden downpour proved overwhelming.
The Mohammed family, deeply rooted in their community, had recently celebrated Aisha’s employment at Panera Bread and Zainab’s dedication to childcare work. Close friends like Nadia Sadat, 17, spoke of their shock and sorrow, struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of their friends and classmates.
The tragic incident serves as a poignant reminder of the risks associated with swimming outside of designated lifeguard hours, which are strictly enforced from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in New York City. The deaths of Aisha and Zainab bring the total number of drownings in the city this summer to four, following the tragic loss of two teenage boys at Jacob Riis Park in Queens in June.
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Plans for a memorial service were underway as the community rallied to support the grieving Mohammed family. Amidst their pain, they hoped to honor the memory of Aisha and Zainab, whose lives were cut short while enjoying what should have been a carefree day at the beach.
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