Spring Lake boat crash yields boating under influence charge
The operator of the boat that washed into a jetty in Spring Lake last night is facing a boating under the influence charge, authorities said today.
Thomas McGinley, 52, of Toms River, was charged after a blood-alcohol test determined that he was over the legal limit, said Sgt. Gregory Williams, a New Jersey State Police spokesman.
McGinley was operating the 24-foot fishing boat that ran aground on a jetty near the Breakers Hotel around 9 p.m. yesterday.
Numerous responders, including area lifeguards, police officers, firefighters, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the New Jersey State Police, responded and conducted a dramatic rescue of McGinley and his two occupants.
The scene involved “rough ocean conditions washing over the jetty and battering the boat at times, making for a dangerous effort for the rescuers,” said JSHN contributor Bill Senck.
McGinley and a woman were rescued safely from the boat by responders using flotation torpedoes, while the third occupant, an injured man, was rescued using a stokes basket, police said.
The rescue ended around 10 p.m., when the injured man was returned to shore and transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune with serious injuries.
Justin Auciello is the founder and publisher of Jersey Shore Hurricane News (JSHN), a citizen journalism news outlet based in South Seaside Park.
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