State Marine Police Save Waretown Man Whose Watercraft Foundered

WARETOWN, NJ Thanks to an alert Waretown resident who heard someone screaming for help late Wednesday night, state Marine Police were able to track down a man whose personal watercraft had been drifting for hours in Barnegat Bay, state police said.

The victim had been last scene around 4 p.m., but failed to return home when it started to get dark. The man's father notified police. The Waretown resident's 911 call helped state police Marine Services Bureau, the Coast Guard and the Ocean County Sheriff's Office to narrow the search on Barnegat Bay, police said.

A State Police vessel located the man and his watercraft in the bay. The victim was uninjured, but told police that his engine had died and his watercraft began to take on water, police said.

"This successful rescue was the result of a great job by our marine troopers, partners, and the Waretown resident who called 911 to assist us with the search," a post on the State Police Facebook page said.

Photo: Courtesy of New Jersey State Police