Coast Guard crews, local authorities search for 1 near Seaside Heights, N.J.

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J. - The Coast Guard and local authorities are searching for a 16-year-old male in the vicinity of Hamilton Avenue near Seaside Heights, N.J., Wednesday.

The Coast Guard received a call at 1:19 p.m. from a member of Seaside Heights 911 dispatch reporting a 16-year-old male was seen being swept out by the surf.

A rescue helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., a rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Manasquan Inlet, N.J., and a rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light, N.J., are on scene and currently searching.

Coast Guard crew rescues 1 near Barnegat Inlet, N.J.

BARNEGAT, N.J. - The Coast Guard rescued a 63-year-old man from the water after the 20-foot boat he was aboard capsized a mile and a half east of Barnegat Inlet Monday.

The Coast Guard received a call at 9:05 a.m. from the man reporting his boat taking on water. The Coast Guard sent out an urgent marine information broadcast. A Good Samaritan aboard the Razzmataz heard the broadcast and arrived on scene to assist.

A Coast Guard rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light, N.J., arrived on scene to assess the situation and the 20-foot boat capsized and sank in 45 feet of water.

The rescue boat crew recovered the man, who was wearing a life jacket, from the water and transported him to Coast Guard Station Barnegat.

Coast Guard crew medevacs 1 near Manasquan, N.J.

MANASQUAN, N.J. - The Coast Guard medevaced a 63-year-old man who was experiencing chest pains aboard a 21-foot boat 10 miles east of Shark River Inlet Saturday.

The Coast Guard received a call at 12:03 p.m. from a member of Sea Tow reporting a person aboard a disabled 21-foot boat is experiencing chest pains.

A boat crew from Coast Guard Station Manasquan, N.J., arrived on scene and began towing the boat with the man aboard to Shark River, N.J. The man reported his condition was progressing worse then initially reported and the rescue boat crew dropped the tow and transferred the man aboard their boat. The rescue boat crew transported the man to Coast Guard Station Shark River and transferred him to awaiting emergency medical personnel.

A Coast Guard Auxiliary boat crew from Avon, N.J., towed the 21-foot boat to Avon.

"If people are having an emergency on the water, they should feel free to call us right away," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Lou Keating, a crew member of Coast Guard Station Manasquan.

Coast Guard rescues 4 off the coast of Cape May, N.J.

CAPE MAY, N.J. - The Coast Guard is towing four people aboard a disabled 63-foot boat 250 miles east of Cape May Saturday.

The Coast Guard received a call at 10 a.m. from a crew member aboard the fishing boat Whitewater II reporting their boat disabled due to engine problems.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma, homeported in Kittery, Maine, arrived on scene and is towing the boat toward Cape May.

Coast Guard urges diving safety along N.J. coast
 

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - The Coast Guard is urging divers, both experienced and inexperienced, to use caution while diving.

The Coast Guard has responded to three diving accidents off the New Jersey coast in 2009 all resulting in fatalities.

Both civilian and Coast Guard divers agree that training is one of the top priorities to be taken for diving.

"The number one thing is proper training and not diving beyond your means," said Steve Gatto, a 30-year veteran of diving off the New Jersey coast. "It is more difficult the deeper you go."

"Make sure you are certified through one of the recognized dive instruction certification programs," said Lt. Alan Fitzgerald, the command diving officer of the Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team in Chesapeake, Va.

Some of the recognized organizations that conduct dive instruction certification programs are:

Professional Association of Diving Instructors http://www.padi.com/scuba/

National Association of Underwater Instructors http://www.naui.org/

Scuba Schools International http://www.divessi.com/

Some safety tips to remember before and during a dive are:

-Get a medical examination from your doctor to ensure your body is physically capable of handling the conditions of the ocean.

-Never dive by yourself. Ensure you have a dive plan and a diving "buddy." There is safety in numbers.

-File a float plan, which includes the name of the charter vessel, with a family member or nearby marina. If you decide to deviate from your original intended plan, proper notification of the change should be made as soon as possible.

-Check your dive equipment carefully and check how the equipment functions, especially if the equipment is rented. Ensure inspections are done annually on diving gear.

-New Jersey state law requires that you mark the diving area with a dive flag and requires boats to stay at least 50 feet away from the flag if displayed from a buoy, boat or float. For more information regarding New Jersey dive laws click here.

-Know the signs and symptoms of diver distress such as heat exhaustion, hypothermia and dehydration, as well as procedures for emergency treatment.

-Check the local weather conditions before your dive or begin the trip to your dive site.

-Remember, taking all the basic safety precautions while diving will increase your chance of surviving a potential diving accident.

Coast Guard rescues 4 near Absecon Inlet, N.J.

ABSECON INLET, N.J. - The Coast Guard rescued four people Friday near Absecon Inlet, N.J., after the 35-foot boat they were aboard ran aground.

The Coast Guard received a call at 2:43 a.m. from a crew member aboard the Tri-Sail reporting they had run aground.

A rescue helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., arrived on scene and hoisted two of the men and transported them to awaiting emergency medical personnel at Coast Guard Station Atlantic City while a Coast Guard rescue swimmer stayed aboard the boat. The rescue helicopter crew returned to the boat and hoisted the remaining two men and the rescue swimmer aboard. The two men were transported to Station Atlantic City.

"The running lights were working and all the guys had life jackets and safety gear," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Tye Conklin, a rescue swimmer at Air Station Atlantic City. "There was a positive outcome because of all the safety gear they had aboard."

There are no injuries reported.

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Coast Guard crews, Good Samaritan rescue 3 near Fortescue Inlet, N.J.

FORTESCUE INLET, N.J. - The Coast Guard and a Good Samaritan rescued three people Friday five miles southeast of Fortescue Inlet, N.J., after their 22-foot boat was taking on water and sank.

The Coast Guard received a call at 10:04 a.m. from a crew member aboard the Big Trout reporting they were taking on water. A Good Samaritan aboard the Serenity reported to the Coast Guard they rescued two of the three people from the water.

A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Fortescue Inlet, and a rescue helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., arrived on scene.

 The boat crew rescued the remaining person from the water at approximatley 11:00 a.m.

All three people were transferred to the Coast Guard boat and transported to Anchor Marina in Maurice River, N.J.

No injuries were reported.

"It is always a good idea to make sure all your gear is in working order before you leave the dock," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Joshua Cooklin, a crew member aboard the rescue boat. "Their GPS was not functioning properly, and it took a little longer to find them."