After sinking his jet ski, a 31-year-old man was forced to swim to the only lights he saw on shore. Wearing a bright yellow life jacket, the man penetrated John F. Kennedy airport, bypassing the $100 million security system.
The young man’s journey began after a Friday night of partying and drinking with friends, which led to a race across Jamaica Bay on jet skis.
But after Daniel Casillo’s friends sped away and his jet ski began to sink, he had no choice but to swim three miles to the lit-up JFK airport runway.
Soaking wet, Casillo made it to shore, bypassing a sophisticated system of motion sensors and closed-circuit cameras and climbing an eight-foot barbed-wire perimeter fence meant to protect against terrorists and other national security threats.
Still wearing his life jacket, the young man then walked into a terminal and approached a Delta Airlines worker, who was startled and called the authorities.
But rather than help the stranded jet skier, police immediately arrested the young man and charged him with criminal trespass.
Rather than use Castillo’s “break-in” to improve its security equipment, Castillo faces an unfortunate criminal trespassing charge and Port Authority faces embarrassment for its lack of security.
