Body of missing fisherman found on Barnegat Bay island
A U.S. Coast Guard boat searching for a missing fisherman in Tuckerton in January. (Image courtesy of Roman Isaryk)
The body of a missing fisherman whose boat was discovered empty in January was found last week on an island in the Barnegat Bay.
Authorities say the body of 45-year-old Christopher Hugg of Tuckerton was found Friday on Middle Island by the Ocean County Mosquito Control Commission, NJ.com reported.
Hugg died due to an accidental drowning, the report states.
The Coast Guard, New Jersey State Police, and the Tuckerton Fire Department searched the area for two days in January using a helicopter and a boat to search for the fisherman, whose 17-foot Bow Rider boat was found aground on Hither Island in Ocean County.
The clam fisherman had contacted a relative and said that he had run aground and did not need assistance, authorities said at the time.
The boat was found containing fishing equipment, but there was no sign of Hugg when rescuers responded.
“We offer our condolences to the family and friends affected by this tragedy,” Capt. Benjamin Cooper, commander of Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay, said in January. “Suspending a search is never an easy decision for rescuers.”
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