Police officers rescue 2 men, dog from sinking boat in Barnegat Bay
It began with a 911 call from a crackling phone out in the Barnegat Bay last Thursday and eventually led Lt. Jeff Ryan and three other members of the Barnegat Township Police to become instant heroes.
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A day on the bay nearly turned tragic for two Pennsylvania duck hunters and their dog in freezing conditions.
Luckily, a Barnegat Township police lieutenant rushed to the scene on his boat and helped get them out of the water. The entire ordeal was caught on camera.
It began with a 911 call from a crackling phone out in the Barnegat Bay last Thursday and eventually led Lt. Jeff Ryan and three other members of the Barnegat Township Police to become instant heroes. Ryan was on his day off and took his own boat out for the rescue.
Video from the Ocean County Sheriff's Department shows the windy, frigid conditions the victims and rescuers faced. Ryan says the men were out on the boat for its maiden voyage that nearly ended in tragedy.
"They were in the water approximately 20 minutes by the time we got them and in those temperatures it could have been a lot worse after about another 10 minutes," Ryan said.
The police rescuers pulled the two hunters and their dog off the sunken vessel and onto Ryan's boat, with just minutes to spare.
Ryan had his boat in the water ready to go because he uses it year-round to do some offshore fishing. But reeling in two sinking duck hunters and a dog was a first for the law enforcement officer.
"I'm not a hero. Just doing my job, literally doing my job, and anytime I can get a day out on the boat is a great day" said Ryan.
Sea Tow Central New Jersey towed the boat back to shore. The humble lieutenant says let this be a warning to future boaters - don't overload your craft and make sure everything is in proper working condition before setting off.
Both men and the dog were cold but suffered no serious injuries.
