Seaside Heights, NJ – Waves churned and currents ripped along the Jersey Shore for days, pulling swimmers into trouble from Seaside Park to Barnegat Inlet, and on Monday night, the danger turned deadly in Seaside Heights.
Shortly after 6:30 p.m., swimmers at the unguarded Webster Avenue Beach were caught in a rip current strong enough to sweep multiple people beyond reach.
With lifeguards already off duty for the day, witnesses called 911, prompting the Seaside Heights Fire Department to launch two rescue jet skis into the rough surf.
Five swimmers were brought to shore and taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River. One man did not survive. His identity has not yet been released. The other four are reported to be in stable condition.
The fatal incident capped a hazardous stretch along the Jersey Shore that began on Saturday. Seaside Park emergency crews were dispatched to multiple beach entrances — including 9th, 21st, 24th, and Lafayette avenues — for swimmers in distress.
While those rescues unfolded, another emergency came from the Barnegat Inlet, where a vessel carrying three people began taking on water. Fire departments from Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, and Barnegat Light coordinated a marine response to bring the boaters to safety.
Seaside Heights Fire Chief William Rumbolo said Monday’s fatality came after at least 10 other rip current rescues in the area over the weekend. Lifeguards, who typically leave around 5 p.m., were not on duty at the time of the Monday evening rescue.
The weekend’s string of emergencies underscores the risks of late-day and off-guard swimming during strong surf conditions, which can rapidly overwhelm even experienced swimmers.
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Key Points
- One man died and four others were hospitalized Monday after a rip current at an unguarded Seaside Heights beach
- Multiple rescues were reported over the weekend, including swimmers in distress and a boat taking on water near Barnegat Inlet
- Officials said at least 10 other swimmers were pulled from rip currents over the weekend
The Jersey Shore’s powerful rip currents left one man dead and dozens in danger over a weekend that refused to end quietly.
