Point Pleasant Dive Team trains for all conditions, clears debris from inlet floor

The Point Pleasant First Aid and Emergency Squad Rescue Dive Team is always ready for action. 

By training year round, the volunteer team members are prepared for any emergency, said first aid squad member Jerry Meaney, who also runs the popular Facebook page Barnegat Bay Island, NJ. 

“Our divers spend untold hours on the bottom,” he said. “The more they dive, the more comfortable they are diving in bad conditions and at night.”

Last Sunday, the dive team, led by Chet Nesley, trained in the Manasquan Inlet, exploring the bottom and clearing debris that cause problems for fishermen, according to Meaney.

The divers collected lost fishing sinkers and will resell them as a fundraiser at a fishing flea market next season.

“This was a typical get in the water explore the bottom and adjust as the temperatures start to drop,” Meaney said. “They swim the full length of the seawall and jetty often to stay acclimated to the bottom.”

Divers also patrol the oceanfront during the summer after lifeguards depart. 

In Sept. 2013, diver Paul DeSalvo rescued a 10-year-old boy from a rip current during an evening patrol. 

Their efforts do not go unnoticed by the appreciative public. 

“God bless these folks!” commented Pamela A. Nobel Lakefield on the Barnegat Bay Island, NJ Facebook page. “Thank you for all that you do for us.”