TOMS RIVER – One person was rescued and another remained missing after entering Barnegat Bay from the J. Stanley Tunney Bridge on Monday, Nov. 2, according to East Dover Fire Company.
Search crews worked for several hours before suspending operations around 8:45 p.m. because of safety concerns, the fire company said.
East Dover, Island Heights and Ocean Beach firefighters were dispatched to the Route 37 bridge around 2:34 p.m. following a report that someone had jumped into the water.
East Dover’s chief arrived within four minutes and spotted a person on the bridge. As the chief approached, that person jumped, according to the fire company.
The person remained conscious and alert in the water, and responders deployed a life ring. An Island Heights fireboat crew pulled the person from the bay and brought them to Pier One Marina, where emergency medical personnel were waiting.
Authorities said the rescued person was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.
Witness statements and a review of available video indicated that another person had entered the water before the chief arrived, East Dover officials said.
Responders launched a grid search involving the U.S. Coast Guard, New Jersey State Police, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, Toms River police drone unit, Ocean Beach firefighters and Brick Township’s dive team.
Representatives from responding agencies coordinated the operation from a unified command post at Pier One Marina on the mainland side of the bridge.
The sheriff’s office had advised motorists to expect delays on Route 37 because of police activity near the bridge.
The missing person had not been located when the search was suspended. The information released did not identify either person or provide an update on the rescued person’s condition.
This is a developing story story, and Jersey Shore Online will update details as we get new information.
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