Why surf the subway, when there are perfectly good waves at the beach? One teen girl was lucky that her subway surfing accident in Broad Channel last week wasn’t life ending.
On Wednesday, July 22, just after 3 p.m., a 16-year-old girl subway surfing on top of the Rockaway-bound A train hit an overhead beam as the train pulled into the Broad Channel train station.
Service was disrupted in both directions for at least an hour as FDNY worked to rescue the girl, who was lying injured on top of the train. The MTA had to cut power to the rails before the firefighters could get to work. As commuters exited the stalled train, they saw, and filmed, the girl as she was conscious but barely moving on top of the train. When crews finally reached her, she screamed in pain, while commuters complained about the disrupted trip home.
The girl was removed from the top of the train on a backboard and was transported to Brookdale University Hospital, where she was treated for a broken femur.
Subway surfing has become a dangerous trend among youth. Just two months ago, a 14-year-old boy was killed and a friend was critically injured while they were surfing on a train going over the Williamsburg Bridge. Last year, five people died while trying it around the city. In 2024, six people died.
After the incident, the 100th Precinct posted a warning on social media saying, “Subway surfing on top of a NYC Subway is a dangerous & reckless act. The only way to get to your destination safely is by riding INSIDE the train car. Your safety is important to us. There are no waves on these trains! Save the surfing for Rockaway Beach!”
