SHIP BOTTOM — A 28-year-old Forked River man died after being caught in a rip current off a Ship Bottom beach, authorities said.
Emergency responders were called to East 21st Street at approximately 2:28 p.m. on June 5 for a report of four people caught in a rip current. The response included the Ship Bottom Police Department, Ship Bottom Fire Department, and Surf City Fire and EMS.
By the time first responders arrived, three of the four individuals had managed to make it safely back to shore. However, David Maldonado-Ocelotl remained missing in the surf, according to police.
Fire rescue personnel, assisted by local surfers, located Maldonado-Ocelotl in the water. Authorities said he was unconscious and not breathing when he was found.
Life-saving measures were immediately initiated at the scene before Maldonado-Ocelotl was transported to Southern Ocean Medical Center. Despite those efforts, he was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
The Ship Bottom Police Department extended its condolences to Maldonado-Ocelotl’s family and loved ones following the tragic incident.
Authorities remind everyone to never swim at the beach without lifeguards present.
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