Coast Guard Awards EMT For Lifesaving Rescue Of 2 At Jersey Shore

BARNEGAT LIGHT, NJ — Robert Selfridge, a volunteer EMT in Barnegat Light, was eating dinner at home one night when a call came in that a 4-year-old girl and her mother were trapped underneath a capsized boat. He immediately sprung into action, risking his own life to save these two. And for his heroic behavior, the U.S. Coast Guard has awarded Selfridge their Gold Lifesaving Medal, one of the oldest awards in the United States.

“This is such a surreal moment for me,” Selfridge said when he received the award during a recent ceremony held at Barnegat Light Fire Hall. “I am receiving the highest award for rescue and heroism, and I am honored beyond belief.”

On Aug. 7, 2022, 4-year-old Ryleigh Krause and her 26-year-old mother found themselves in their capsized boat in the cold Barnegat Inlet waters off Island Beach State Park. They only had an 18-inch air pocket.

Selfridge, who also is a lifeguard and member of the Barnegat Light Volunteer Fire Company, heard the 911 call at about 7 p.m. that night and interrupted his dinner to help, along with the Coast Guard and partner agencies.

Five people involved with the incident, while the two were still trapped inside the boat's hull.

Selfridge shed his lifejacket and dove under the boat, entering the cabin where the mother and daughter were.

He led them out and kept them afloat until they were pulled from the water by a Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light 29-foot Response Boat-Small crew.

This is not Selfridge's first award for this particular rescue. This past summer, he received the Carnegie Hero Medal, North America's highest honor for civilian heroism. Read more: Man Awarded For Life-Saving Rescue Of Girl, Her Mom From Sinking Jersey Shore Boat

“Today I had the honor of formally presenting the Gold Life Saving Medal on behalf of the Commandant, to Robert Selfridge for his heroic actions on August 7, 2022, that saved a trapped mother and daughter from drowning in Barnegat Inlet, New Jersey,” said Capt. Kate Higgins-Bloom, Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay commander. “The Coast Guard is grateful to Mr. Selfridge for his selfless action and bravery. Bob is an important part of the Barnegat Light community of responders, and we look forward to continuing to serve the community together.”

The ceremony was attended by Sector Delaware Bay command, officers, and enlisted personnel who witnessed the special occasion alongside family and friends of Selfridge.

The Gold Lifesaving Medal is one of the United States’ oldest medals. It was created by Act of Congress in 1874 and may be awarded to an individual who performs a rescue or attempts to rescue any other person from drowning, shipwreck or other peril of water, at the risk of their own life, and demonstrates extreme heroic daring.