Lavallette life boat. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
A 39-year-old man from Totowa, Passaic County, who was visiting Lavallette the day after Labor Day, lost his life after being swept by a rip current, officials said.
The man’s name was not released publicly. According to officers, the man entered the water just before 11:45 a.m. Tuesday at New York Avenue. A report from News12 New Jersey said two fellow beachgoers heard the man calling for help, leading them to rush to the shoreline, however they could not reach him. Police, firefighters and a water rescue team were on scene within five minutes, the report said, but the man was face-down in the water.
New York Avenue beaches had been closed for most of the prior week due to rip currents, and it is widely assumed the man was a victim of the condition, which has been heightened in some areas since sandbars are forming after beach replenishment efforts concluded this summer.
The man was pulled from the water and brought to shore where CPR was performed. He was transported to Community Medical Center, Toms River, where he was pronounced deceased shortly after arrival.
Lavallette, like most Shore towns, ends its official bathing season after Labor Day. It will continue lifeguard protection for one additional week to coincide with the borough’s Founder’s Day celebrations this coming weekend, but currently responds to calls for service with a surf rescue team. The borough also has roving ATV patrols staffed with police to keep swimmers out of the water on days where rip currents or rough surf is present.
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