Police Rescue 3 People After Boat Crashes

Police rescued two men and a woman after a boat crash in Spring Lake, New Jersey Saturday night.

Police say the 24-foot open fishing boat struck a jetty near the Newark Avenue beach across from the Breakers Hotel around 9 p.m. After receiving reports of people in the water and people trapped under the boat, Spring Lake police officers Sean Duggan, Michael Palmer Jr., Emmett Smith and Spring Lake Police Chief Ed Kerr all responded to the scene. Kerr was off-duty at the time and was having dinner across the street from the crash scene, according to the Asbury Park Press.

Duggan, Smith and Kerr jumped into the water to rescue the victims while Palmer stayed on shore and spoke with other rescue crews. The three officers then climbed onto the jetty where they found the boat’s occupants, two men and a woman. Police said one of the men suffered a head injury and had blood on his face.

After other officers, firefighters, lifeguards, state police and the U.S. Coast guard arrived, the rescuers used a basket to carry the injured man off the boat and helped the other man and woman to safety, police said.

Investigators say the injured operator of the boat, 52-year-old Thomas McGinley of Toms River, appeared to be intoxicated. They also say they found open alcohol containers on the boat. After receiving medical treatment, McGinley was arrested and charged with boating under the influence pending toxicology results.

The Spring Lake Police Department thanked everyone involved in the rescue effort on their Facebook page.
 

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