Man drowns in East Rockaway Inlet

The NYPD Harbor Unit recovered a body from the East Rockaway Inlet Friday that may be connected to Janusz Sowa, who was arrested the previous day by police for allegedly boating while intoxicated.

Police said that Sowa, 54, a homeless man, was seen piloting a 26-foot 1990 Bayliner in the vicinity of the Crow’s Nest Marina, located at 495 Wood Street in Oceanside, on Aug. 9 at about 4 p.m. During questioning, Sowa told police that his friend, Stanislaw Nawrocki,  the owner of the boat, “fell in the ocean, he is dead.”

According to Sowa, Nawrocki had been teaching him to operate the boat when he fell over and disappeared.

Police said that Sowa reported that he Nawrocki, of Forest Avenue, Queens, went out on the boat and that Nawrocki had fallen overboard somewhere near East Rockaway Inlet.

The Nassau County Marine Bureau, the Town of Hempstead Bay constables, the New York Police Department Harbor Unit, the United States Coast Guard and the Nassau County Aviation Unit all searched for the missing boater. The Coast Guard had completed their search as of 2 p.m. Friday, though Nassau County Police Department has not officially identified the body that ws recovered as Nawrocki’s.

Sowa was charged with operation of a vessel while under the influence of alchohol. He was arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead on Aug. 10.