Elderly Woman's Drowning Death In Lacey Ruled Accidental, Police Chief Says

by Patricia A. Miller

The Ocean County Medical Examiner's Office has ruled the death of a 72-year-old Lacey woman to be an accidental drowning after conducting an autopsy, Police Chief David A. Paprota said.

An investigation conducted by Lacey Detective Kymberly Gudgeon reached the same conclusion, the chief said.

"All indications are that she walked onto a floating dock at the end of Cabot Street in Forked River and entered the water at that location," Paprota said. "Her cane was found lying on the dock where it is believed she entered the South Branch of Stouts Creek."

Kuo Chun-Mei Tsai was reported missing from her Winthrop Drive in Forked River on May 12. Hundreds of residents saw Tsai walking between 4:15 p.m. and 8 p.m, when she was last seen, near the dock at the south branch of the creek, he said.

Lacey police and the Ocean County Sheriff's Department K-9 units, and a New Jersey State Police helicopter began the search after family members notified authorities.

She was found floating in the water early the following morning by a resident, the chief said.

Her family told police that she did not understand or speak English, only Chinese, and had only moved into the area from Weehawkin since October 2015. She was unfamiliar with the area and had "significant" mobility problems, the chief has said.