The Long Island Press says five people have already drowned this summer on a beach with “no swimming” signs posted:

The latest incident involved a 12-yr-old girl on a school trip with other students from Harlem.

A teacher at Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science and Engineering – one of three chaperones looking after sixth-grader Nicole Suriel – was injured as she was tossed against a stone jetty while trying to rescue the girl, officials said.

Dozens of police and lifeguards – on hand to set up for weekday lifeguard staffing due to begin next week – joined the search for Nicole. Her motionless body was pulled from the water shortly after 12:30 p.m., more than 90 minutes after she went under off Edwards Boulevard, according to Long Beach and school officials.

The cost of the search must have been astronomical with helicopters overhead and firefighters, police and lifeguards in the water. Long Beach officials said no life guards were on duty because of budgetary constraints.