Body Found In Water Near Ocean City Identified

OCEAN CITY, NJ — An adult man whose body was found floating in the Great Egg Harbor Inlet between Longport and Ocean City has been identified, Ocean City officials announced Monday morning.

The body of 24-year-old Jabed Ikbal, of Clementon, was found by a fisherman in the inlet at about 6 a.m. Saturday morning, according to Ocean City Spokesman Doug Bergen. Ikbal’s body was recovered by the Longport Fire Department’s marine patrol.

Ikbal went missing after entering the Great Egg Harbor Inlet off an unprotected beach on July 12. Authorities were called at about 7:30 p.m. that night. When they arrived, they were told that Ikbal hadn't returned to shore.

He had been trying to help two family members. Both made it safely to the beach, but Ikbal didn't. Strong tidal currents created dangerous conditions at the beach where Ikbal disappeared, according to a city spokesperson. Read more here: Swimmer Missing In Water Off Ocean City

The U.S. Coast Guard searched for Ikbal for about 21 hours before calling off the search. Ocean City's beach patrol, police department and fire department, along with the Longport Volunteer Fire Department, Longport Beach Patrol and Scullville Volunteer Fire Department also searched for Ikbal. Read more here: Coast Guard Calls Off Search For Missing Swimmer Near Ocean City

"The decision to suspend search efforts is a challenging one," Chief Jacobe Hyre, the command duty officer at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay, said at the time. "We ask that everyone try and be cautious of weather conditions before choosing to swim." Read more here: Body Of Unidentified Man Found Near Ocean City: Officials