Coast Guard Rescues 80-Year-Old Man Near Barnegat Inlet

BARNEGAT, NJ – The U.S. Coast Guard rescued an 80-year-old man whose boat ran aground near the Barnegat Inlet on Monday, March 7, the Coast Guard reported.

The man’s son reported that his father had not returned at sunset. The son informed watchstanders that his father had no communication devices with him, only a life jacket and whistle on the 16-foot boat.

Coast Guard members from Station Barnegat Light and Air Station Atlantic City along with a New Jersey State police aviation unit responded to the report. The man was located by the police and rescued by the Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew who transported him to Island Beach State Park where EMS was waiting.

The Coast Guard highlighted the necessity of telling people your location before departing on the water.

“This case really emphasized the importance of letting someone know your whereabouts before you get underway,” Commander Brett Workman, Sector Delaware Bay Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator, said in a release. “The family knew where he was departing from, where he planned to go, and when he was expected to return. Since his family knew his float plan, we knew where to look, and were ultimately able to locate and rescue him. In addition to letting someone know your float plan, it is always recommended that mariners have reliable means of communication when they are on the water.”