Berkeley Rescue Squad Divers Clean Up Cedar Creek

BERKELEY, NJ — The popular recreation area around Cedar Creek is cleaner and safer after the Berkeley Township Underwater Search and Rescue Squad’s annual cleanup.

Divers filled three boats with trash that they pulled from the bottom of the creek, including many beer bottles, a traffic cone and a car seat, according to the squad's president Carl Mattocks.

This was the first underwater cleanup that the squad was able to hold in two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. Volunteers armed with oxygen tanks and snorkeling equipment swam through the creek earlier this month on Saturday, June 5.

“It’s often the first time the team gets together after the winter and we’re doing a good thing. It’s guaranteed we’re going to find something,” Mattocks said.

Divers also found an engraved bracelet at the base of the trestle:

“It just looked like dark plastic and we pulled it up, and it was shiny. I thought, ‘Better keep that safe.’ Someone might want that,” Mattocks said, adding that its owner should call the squad at 732-269-7969 to claim it.

The divers clean up the creek around Memorial Day weekend each year as the water starts to see more traffic from kayakers.

By removing trash from the bottom of the creek, it reduces the amount of waste that could flow on to the Dudley Park Beach where many local children play, Mattocks said.

“The sad thing is the amount of beer bottles. It’s just vandalizing the creek. It makes it dangerous for people who do go through there,” he said.

The squad is currently seeking volunteers for future underwater cleanups. Interested volunteers can call 732-269-7969 or email president@btusar.us for more information.

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