ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – A group of young children were rescued by Atlantic City police officers and other nearby beachgoers on Saturday.
The Atlantic City Police Department Reports:
On May 15, 2021 at 5:00 pm, Tourism District Unit officers responded to the Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard beach for reports of several young juveniles in the ocean in distress.
As officers arrived, all of the children had been rescued from the water. A good Samaritan, Dijon Brooks, entered the ocean and rescued a four-year-old female. The girl was transported to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Division, for evaluation. The other children were evaluated on scene.
Atlantic City Police Department
Two other men also entered the ocean to rescue the children but were not identified.On May 18 at 11:30 am, Tourism District Unit officers responded to the Virginia Avenue beach for a report of three juveniles in the water.
A good Samaritan, Stephen Moore, of Clark Summit, PA, went in the water to assist the three siblings, two girls, 11 and 9, and one boy, 8, of Philadelphia, PA.
Officers Ramir Hayes and Brian Victoria-Garcia arrived at Moore calling for help. He and the children were stuck on an outfall pipe as the waves continued to crash in. Officers Hayes and Victoria-Garcia immediately rushed into the water to assist. The officers could see that the children and Moore had been injured from the pipe. Officer Victoria-Garcia stayed on the pipe to assist Moore while Officer Hayes grabbed the 11-year-old and put her in on his back carrying her to the shore. Officer Hayes returned for the 9-year-old and carried her to safety.
Chief Steve Downey of the Atlantic City Beach Patrol, Lifeguard Brian Cain, and Firefighter BJ Hamilton of the Atlantic City Fire Department was off-duty doing maintenance work at a nearby Lifeguard stand when they responded to the beach. They, along with Officer Scott Crawford, assisted in rescuing the 8-year-old boy and Moore from the pipe.
The three children, three officers, and Moore were all transported to the Medical Center to be evaluated for cuts and lacerations sustained from the waves crashing into them while on the pipe. The Atlantic City Beach Patrol will begin patrolling beaches on Saturday, May 29 between the hours of 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. As a reminder, if you cannot see the lifeguard, the lifeguard cannot see you.
“I am very proud of the courage and heroics displayed by the first responders and good samaritans”, Interim Officer in Charge James Sarkos. “They did not hesitate when called upon to rescue these children. Their swift and decisive actions helped divert a tragedy.”