August 18, 2024
BARNEGAT LIGHT, NJ (OCEAN)–Barnegat Light Volunteer Fire Company #1 reported they were dispatched to the South Jetty along with Barnegat Light First Aid Squad and U.S. Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light for two adult males stuck on the Jetty. The fire company had two jetskis in the water and one of the rescuers swam over to the rocks and assisted two males up the jetty marker light tower. A United States Coast Guard helicopter lowered a rescue swimmer down to the males in distress. The two were evacuated to shore line. One of the two men suffered minor injuries. The fire company reported that great inter-agency work resulting in a successful rescue.
Update from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City:
Yesterday evening (Sunday, August 19th 2024) at 6:11 p.m. EST a good Samaritan reported seeing two persons in distress on the South Jetty of Barnegat Inlet. Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light launched a 47’ Motor Life Boat (MLB) to quickly respond, but once on-scene determined that the sea state was too large to get close enough to the jetty to retrieve the distressed persons.
As a result, a rescue swimmer was deployed from the 47’ MLB and was able to assist the persons to safety at the top of the jetty tower while they waited to be rescued by an MH-65E Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City.
Barnegat Volunteer Fire Company additionally responded to the scene via jet skis and were able to get an EMT on the jetty to wait with the distressed persons and provide them lifejackets until the helicopter arrived on-scene.
The helicopter arrived on-scene at 7:08 PM and both persons were hoisted into the helicopter and transferred to Atlantic Ocean Beachfront to receive further medical care from EMS.
No medical concerns were reported.