Brick Police Officers Save Woman From Near Drowning In Metedeconk

BRICK, NJ — Two Brick Township police officers saved from drowning a woman who had been in the Metedeconk River for more than an hour Saturday night.

Now on Monday, those two officers are being hailed as heroes. The woman, 27, was blue and semi-conscious when she was pulled out of the water, and remains hospitalized as of Monday with acute aspiration pneumonia and respiratory failure.

The dramatic rescued unfolded just after 9:00 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15: Police were called to the area of Eagle Point on the Metedeconk River in response to a woman missing in the water.

"She entered the water on her own attempting to swim to another boat when she began having difficulty," said Brick Police Chief James Riccio.

The boat she had been on lost sight of her for several minutes before the driver called 911. She was not wearing a life jacket.

Between the winds and strong current, the water was rough Saturday night, said police.

Brick mobilized two police boats out of Trader’s Cove Marina, and the Coast Guard, State Police and Brick Fire Department Dive Team all converged on the area where the woman last went missing.

Brick police officers John Alexander and Eric Haugh were operating one of the police boats when they heard a faint call for help. The officers quickly found the woman, and saw her having trouble keeping her head above water.

They threw her a life ring, but she was too weak to grab onto it.

Haugh began positioning the police boat down current from the woman as Alexander began taking off his police gear to make a water rescue. The currents brought the woman up to the side of the boat before he needed to jump in, and the two officers were able to grab her arms and pull her aboard.

It is estimated the woman spent approximately one hour in the water before being pulled out, said police. She was blue and semi-conscious. Alexander kept her awake and administered first aid while Haugh brought the police boat to Eagle Point,where EMTs were standing by.

She was admitted to Ocean Medical Center and remains there Monday afternoon, in stable condition.