Body Of Unidentified Man Found Near Ocean City: Officials

OCEAN CITY, NJ — The body of an unidentified man was found in the Great Egg Harbor Inlet between Longport and Ocean City early Saturday morning, officials announced.

The family of a 24-year-old Camden County man who has been missing since he went into the Inlet on July 12 has been notified, according to Ocean City Spokesman Doug Bergen.

A fisherman discovered the body at about 6 a.m. and called 911, Bergen said. The Longport Fire Department launched a boat and recovered the body. The Southern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office is working to identify the body.

Jabed Ikbal, 24 of Clementon, 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."