By: Katie Francis, Follow South Jersey Public Health Intern
WILDWOOD, N.J. — Three beachgoers were rescued last Thursday after they were reportedly swimming in distress off the coast of Andrews Ave in Wildwood. According to a joint press release from the City of Wildwood Fire Department, Police Department, and the Wildwood Beach Patrol, the city’s police department communications officers received a 911 call reporting the incident shortly after noon.
The Wildwood City Fire Department, North Wildwood Fire Department, and Wildwood Police were dispatched, and a Wildwood Beach Patrol EMT also responded to the call.
By the time the first officials arrived at the scene, a surfer was helping one of the swimmers to the shore. The city beach patrol EMT entered the water to assist the juvenile woman and gave her medical treatment once they reached the beach.
Good samaritans then assisted an adult woman out of the water, but she did not need any medical treatment. The last swimmer, another juvenile woman, was still missing.
“Multiple rescue swimmers from the Wildwood City Fire Department, North Wildwood Fire Department and Wildwood Police Department, along with several local off-duty lifeguards, entered the water and began searching for the missing swimmer,” the statement read.
The release also added that authorities requested additional resources from the U.S. Coast Guard and New Jersey State Police, Marine Services Bureau. However, the girl was located safe on the beach approximately 15-20 minutes after rescue crews entered the water. She told authorities that multiple good samaritans helped her out of the water.
The first rescued victim was transported to Cape Regional Medical Center for further medical treatment, and the second victim was treated and released on the scene.
While all three of these victims were successfully rescued, Wildwood police and rescue authorities remind swimmers to never swim when lifeguards are not on duty, make sure they always swim near a lifeguard and, call 911 if they see someone who is drowning or needs immediate help.
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This article was produced by a Follow South Jersey news intern thanks to a grant provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through the New Jersey Health Initiatives program to create hyper-local news to meet the informational and health needs of the City of Bridgeton, N.J.
