UPDATE August 11
The swimmer, identified as 18-year old Kevin C. Searfoss of Rockaway, died at Monmouth Medical Center at 11 p.m., according to Sea Bright Patrolman Daniel Chernavsky.
Original story:
SEA BRIGHT, August 10 – A young adult male was pulled from the rough ocean water Monday morning and rushed to Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch.
The man, who has not yet been identified by authorities, had a faint pulse when lifeguards retrieved him, said Sea Bright Councilman Jack Keeler.
Ira Fields, who frequents the stretch of beach between Driftwood Beach Club and the town of Monmouth Beach, was there when a group of young men arrived at the unguarded beach this morning at the 1500 block of Sea Bright and quickly jumped in.
“Seven to eight kids ran into the water,” said Fields. “They were waist deep in the water. After a minute I heard someone call ‘Help! Help!’ so my wife called 911. I got my binoculars out but I couldn’t see a body anywhere. It was disturbing.”
Nearby, Driftwood Cabana Club’s head lifeguard heard the desperate call.
“I ran down the beach 400 yards and then I dove into the ocean and pulled him in,” said Tyler Schick. The young man he rescued seemed okay, but attention immediately turned to another missing person of the group.
Other lifeguards and rescuers from Sea Bright Fire Rescue and Ocean Rescue squads poured onto the beach for adjacent areas, formed a line united by a rope, and began combing the ocean floor for the missing man in a coordinated effort.
After about 20 long minutes, the man’s limp body was retrieved from the ocean by Mike Hudson, the captain of Sea Bright Ocean Rescue. CPR was administered, and a pulse was detected.
“It was scary. I was tired. It was exhausting,” said Jenna Kowitski, a lifeguard at Driftwood who participated in the rescue.
All along the beachfront, red flags were flying to warn swimmers of the dangerous rip current conditions today.
“We’re trying to warn people to stay put in front of lifeguards. This was an unguarded beach,” Hudson said. As private land, it is not part of the Sea Bright Municipal Beach area, officials said.
John Gomez, who also witnessed the rescue, joined many others on the Sea Bright Fire Rescue Facebook page in congratulating the volunteers for their professionalism. “I was able to watch this and have to say – you guys did an amazing job. Your professionalism, focus and passion are exemplary!” he wrote.
– Reported by Heather Nelson and Christina Johnson
