Sailboat runs aground near Barnegat Inlet jetty in Island Beach State Park
A mariner escaped injury early today after his sailboat ran aground near the northern Barnegat Inlet jetty in Island Beach State Park, authorities said.
Upon receiving a distress call at about 2:30 a.m. today for a boat taking on water in Island Beach State Park near the Barnegat Inlet jetty, US Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light launched a 47-foot motor lifeboat, said Petty Officer Cindy Oldham.
The responders could not communicate with the boater directly, so the nearby station served as the intermediary between the rescuers and the sailboat’s occupant, Oldham said.
During the response, the mariner was signaling the Coast Guard vessel with a flashlight, Oldham said.
A Berkeley Township Police Department officer subsequently responded and helped the sailboat occupant out of the water, Oldham said.
A spokesman for the Berkeley Township Police Department confirmed that there were no injuries and said additional details would be available later today.
Oldham said that a salvage plan is in place for today.
The investigation is ongoing.
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