PHILADELPHIA – The U.S. Coast Guard presented the Gold Life Saving Medal to Robert Selfridge, a member of the Barnegat Light Fire Department, for his bravery in rescuing a mother and daughter who were trapped under a capsized boat.
At 7 p.m. on August 7, 2022, the Coast Guard received a distress call from the Barnegat Inlet. A 23-foot boat had overturned. A number of agencies responded, including the Barnegat Light Fire Department.
Five people were rescued but a mother and daughter were trapped inside the hull of the capsized boat, the Coast Guard reported. Selfridge took off his lifejacket to dive beneath the vessel and enter the cabin. He found the two of them surviving in an air pocket. He led them out and kept them afloat until they were pulled from the water by a Coast Guard crew.
The Gold Lifesaving Medal was created by Act of Congress in 1874 and may be awarded to an individual who performs a rescue or attempts to rescue any other person from drowning, shipwreck or other peril of water, at the risk of their own life, and demonstrates extreme heroic daring.
“This is such a surreal moment for me,” said Selfridge. “I am receiving the highest award for rescue and heroism, and I am honored beyond belief.”
“Today I had the honor of formally presenting the Gold Life Saving Medal on behalf of the Commandant, to Robert Selfridge for his heroic actions on August 7, 2022, that saved a trapped mother and daughter from drowning in Barnegat Inlet, New Jersey,” said Capt. Kate Higgins-Bloom, Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay commander. “The Coast Guard is grateful to Mr. Selfridge for his selfless action and bravery. Bob is an important part of the Barnegat Light community of responders, and we look forward to continuing to serve the community together.”
The ceremony was attended by Sector Delaware Bay command, officers, and enlisted personnel who witnessed the special occasion alongside family and friends of Selfridge.
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