TOMS RIVER, NJ — A person who had remained missing after jumping from the J. Stanley Tunney Bridge on Monday has been found dead, East Dover Fire Company said Tuesday morning.
The fire company said the person's body was found in the water Tuesday morning after the search resumed. It had been suspended Monday about 8:45 p.m. due to safety concerns.
The person was one of two who jumped Monday from the bridge, which carries Route 37 westbound from Seaside Heights to Toms River over Barnegat Bay.
The fire company did not say where the person's body was found or how far it was from the bridge.
911 callers alerted authorities at 2:34 p.m. Monday that a person had jumped from the bridge into the bay, the fire company said.
When East Dover Fire Chief Travis Veth arrived four minutes later he found a second person on the bridge. As Veth approached, that person jumped into the water. The person remained alert and conscious, and a life ring was thrown to them. A fireboat from Island Heights Fire Company pulled the person from the water and brought them to Pier One Marina, at the base of the bridge in Toms River.
That person was taken by EMS to a hospital, the fire company said.
Witnesses and video available of the bridge showed another person had jumped before Veth arrived.
The search by the U.S. Coast Guard, New Jersey State Police, the Ocean County Sheriff's Office, Ocean Beach Fire Company and a dive team from Brick Township, along with the drone unit from the Toms River Police Department, went on for several hours.
On Tuesday, the fire company said it was assisted by the Ocean County Sheriff's Office and the Toms River Police Dive Unit.
"We extend our sincere condolences to the individual's family and loved ones. We thank all responding agencies for their assistance and coordination throughout the search and recovery efforts," the fire company said.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Toms River Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.