A jetskier managed to breach security at JFK International Airport and walk undetected across two runways after swimming to shore from his stricken vehicle, it was reported Monday.
Daniel Casillo, 31, was forced to abandon his vehicle after it broke down while he raced a friend in Jamaica Bay, close to New York's main air-transport hub, on Friday evening. According to the New York Post, Casillo then swam to land, climbed a perimeter fence and walked past JFK's $100m network of motion sensors, closed-circuit video surveillance and other security measures.
Having walked across two runways and into a terminal building, Casillo approached a Delta Airlines employee, who alerted authorities. He has since been charged with criminal trespass.
Casillo's girlfriend, Deanna Cowan, told the New York Post her boyfriend's adventure had begun after he and a friend decided to race each other.
"They were trying to see who had the fastest jetskis, like idiots," Cowan said.
At around 7.45pm Casillo's vehicle began taking on water, at which point he decided to swim to land owned by JFK, it was reported. Once there, according to the New York Post, he climbed an 8ft fence and walked to a terminal building while still wearing a bright-yellow life jacket.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said it would investigate the reported breach. The agency is due to meet the makers of the airport's security system later this week.
In a statement, the authority said: "We have called for an expedited review of the incident and a complete investigation to determine how Raytheon's perimeter intrusion detection system – which exceeds federal requirements – could be improved. Our goal is to keep the region's airports safe and secure at all times."
The authority added that "immediate action" had been taken to strengthen security following the breach, including "round the clock patrols of the facility's perimeter and increased patrols by boat of the surrounding waterway".
Despite their efforts, Casillo's jetski has not yet been recovered.
