Combative man taken into police custody after nighttime ocean rescue

A combative man was taken into police custody Wednesday night after firefighters rescued him from a rip current in Monmouth County, authorities say. 

Firefighters responded to the Fifth Avenue beach in Asbury Park at 9:30 p.m. on a report of a swimmer in distress.

According to authorities, responding firefighters couldn’t immediately find the victim and moved the search to the direction of a rapid current. The swimmer then “popped up” in the surf, APP.com reported. 

A firefighter rescued the man, identified as Joshua O’Donnell, 32, of Metuchen.

Asbury Park Police Department spokesman Sgt. Michael Casey tells the Asbury Park Sun that once on the shoreline, the man began to shout, took a threatening stance, and raised his arms “in a violent manner at the numerous police officers on scene.”

Police charged O’Donnell with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, according to the police spokesman. He was transported to a local hospital for evaluation. 

Jersey Shore emergency personnel have responded to multiple ocean incidents since Monday.