Six Women Thrown Into Cedar Creek When Kayaks, Canoe Capsize, Police Chief Says

by Patricia A. Miller

The waters of Cedar Creek were high from the deluge of rain from the past several days and the riverbanks swollen when six young woman from Wayne launched their kayaks and a canoe in Double Trouble State Park on Tuesday, Police Chief Karin T. DiMichele said.

Shortly after, Berkeley Township police received a 911 call from a cell phone.

All four kayaks and the canoe capsized almost immediately after they were launched at the white bridge inside the park, the chief said.

"Shortly after launch, the females experienced rough and fast moving current causing them to capsize," DiMichele said. "Two of the females were able to hang onto trees/branches immediately after capsizing while the remaining four got caught in the current and went down the creek further, but were able to hang onto trees/branches as well."

One of the women was able to dial 911 from a cell phone to report the incident while stranded in the creek, the chief said.

Patrolman Bulwinski was the first officer to arrive. He began to walk along the creek bank in attempt to locate the women. The creek bank was flooded, but Bulwinski was able to locate the first two women.

A command post was set up at the white bridge by Sergeant Woermer, Fire Stations 17, 18 and 20. They launched kayaks and a Zodiac boat into the creek. All of the women were located and rescued from the creek. Rescuers found only one of the kayaks. The remaining three kayaks and the canoe were either not located or became caught in the bogs, trees and branches, DiMichele said.

It was too dangerous to try and recover the watercraft, she said.

The women - all from Wayne, NJ - were identified as:

Samantha Brown, 18.

Olivia Pantale, 19.

Meghan Kelly, 18.

Crista Provax. 20.

Brianna DeLuccia, 18

Alea Hemming, 20

DiMichele thanked the following agencies for their assistance:

Bayville Fire Company Station 17

Manitou Fire Company Station 18

Pinewald Fire Company Station 20

Bayville First Aid

NJ State Park Police

NJ Forest Fire Service

Ocean County Fire Coordinators

Ocean County Sheriff’s Office

Photo credit: Daniel Crabbe