Woman Claims She Saw Man Drown in NJ Surf

Coast Guard suspends search for N.J. swimmer woman says disappeared Monday

Carol Macaluso is convinced it was a man that she saw disappear under the surf off the 51st Street Beach in Ocean City, N.J. Monday morning.

“Had his hands up in the air and he went under, came back up…and the third time he went back under he did not come back up again,” Macaluso tells NBC Philadelphia’s Ted Greenberg.

Macaluso’s call to authorities at about 11:30 a.m. sparked a Coast Guard air-and-sea search of the waters not far from the witness’ third-floor deck. But after finding no sign of a swimmer, authorities suspended the search at about 3:30 p.m.

While temperatures were in the 70s Monday, the ocean waters were a chilly 43 degrees, but Macaluso says that the man she saw swimming was not wearing a shirt.

With no reports of missing persons and no abandoned vehicles in the area, Ocean City Police Capt. Steven Ang said it’s possible that Macaluso saw a seal.

“Not with arms,” Macaluso says with conviction.

Police plan to continue checking the beaches for any clues of what Macaluso could have seen.

“I feel very sad,” Macaluso tells NBC Philadelphi’s Ted Greenberg. “He must be somebody’s son, husband. He belongs to somebody. I don’t think he’s going to be going home tonight.”

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