BERKELEY – Police, firefighters, EMS and other first responders helped save three distressed individuals Sunday in a search and rescue at a local creek.
Around 8:30 p.m., officers from the Berkeley Township Police Department responded to the area of the Western Boulevard canoe access regarding a report of rafters in distress.
According to police, one of the parties was further separated from the missing group and was last seen drifting eastbound in the creek face down and possibly unresponsive.
As a result, a Search and Rescue party ensued involving units from Berkeley Township, Lacey Township, Ocean County Sheriff’s Department and New Jersey State Police aviation.
First responders were able to rescue all three victims from the water and they were brought to land and evaluated by medics. Officials said one of the victims suffered hypothermic conditions and was airlifted to Jersey Shore Medical Center to be further evaluated.
The Berkeley Township Police Department thanked the following agencies who assisted in the rescue: Lacey Township Police Department, Berkeley Township EMS, Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, Bayville Fire Department, Manitou Park Fire Department, Pinewald Pioneer Fire Department, Lanoka Harbor Fire Department, Lanoka Harbor EMS and Lacey Township Dive Team.
