One of two girls that died subway surfing atop J train was Bay Ridge resident

Mukhtarov was an eighth-grade student at J.H.S. 259 William McKinley

One of the two girls who died on Saturday while subway surfing atop a Brooklyn-bound J train was from Bay Ridge.

The Brooklynite was identified as Zemfira Mukhtarov, 12, who lived in the neighborhood with her parents and attended J.H.S. 259 William McKinley.

Cops said at 3:10 a.m., they found Mukhtarov and Ebba Morina, 13, from Manhattan, at the Marcy Avenue subway station unconscious and unresponsive. Emergency medical services pronounced them dead at the scene.

“It’s heartbreaking that two young girls are gone because they somehow thought riding outside a subway train was an acceptable game,” said Demetrius Crichlow, president of Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit. “Parents, teachers and friends need to be clear with loved ones: Getting on top of a subway car isn’t ‘surfing’ — it’s suicide.”

Her father Ruslan set up a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral costs and wrote about his daughter.

“With heavy hearts, we are reaching out for support after the tragic loss of my beloved daughter, Zemfira, who passed away in a devastating accident at a subway station,” he said. “Full of life and taken from us far too soon in a heartbreaking incident that we believe was a subway surfing accident.”

He said she was about to turn 13 in a couple of weeks.

In the past, surfers have filmed the dangerous stunt while performing it and posted it on their social media accounts.

According to the New York Post, five people have died this year trying the stunt.

“No parent should ever have to face the pain of losing a child, and no child should lose their life in such a tragic way,” Ruslan said. “We are struggling to process this immense grief, and we are turning to our community for help to give Zemfira the respectful and loving farewell she deserves.

“We are raising funds to cover the costs of her funeral and memorial services, as this unexpected tragedy has left us financially unprepared. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help us honor Zemfira’s memory and lay her to rest with the dignity she deserves. If you’re unable to donate, please share this fundraiser or keep us in your thoughts and prayers.”

As of Tuesday, $17,000 was raised.

Back in July, Mayor Eric Adams and New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch announced that 200 rescues have been made through the NYPD’s drone and enforcement operations targeting subway surfing.

“As your mayor, and as a father, I’m heartbroken by the tragic loss of two young girls who died subway surfing in Brooklyn. My thoughts are with their families,” Adams wrote on X. “We launched the ‘Ride Inside, Stay Alive’ education campaign to reinforce subway safety among youth, and we remain dedicated to this critical effort. If you see anyone traveling outside of our subway cars, please call 911 immediately.”

In 2023, Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA launched the “Subway Surfing Kills – Ride Inside, Stay Alive” public information campaign.

It was created by New York City teenagers and put the youth voice front and center in a peer-to-peer effort to deter this dangerous behavior among young people.