NYC correction officer dies while on duty at Rikers Island

THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) -- A correction officer died while working at the Rikers Island jail complex on Tuesday evening, according to the NYC Department of Correction.

The correction officer, identified as Robert Boom, collapsed in the Annex Yard of the Otis Bantum Correctional Center just before 5 p.m. Male detainees are housed in this area, according to the DOC's website.

Officials said fellow officers and staff from Correctional Health Services immediately activated a medical emergency and performed CPR. EMS arrived within minutes, administered emergency medical care, and transported the officer to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“This is a tragic loss for our entire Boldest family," Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie said in a statement. "Our prayers are with Officer Boom’s family and his fellow officers. Heroes work at the Department of Correction, and Officer Boom was, without question, one of those noble heroes.”

Officer Bloom had been with the department for the past 13 years, according to the DOC.