By MADDY VITALE
Ocean City Beach Patrol lifeguards rescued a husband and wife and their dog from a boat grounded in Corson’s Inlet during a foggy Monday afternoon.
Lifeguards responded to a 3:58 p.m. call and launched jet skis from both the 59th Street and 34th Street Ocean City Beach Patrol stations. While heading to the scene, they received an update that the boat was taking on water, officials said.
They located a pontoon boat grounded on a shoal about 75 yards off the beach in heavy fog on the Ocean City side of the inlet. The first jet ski transported the woman and dog to the boat ramp at Corson’s Inlet State Park. The second jet ski transported the man, officials said.
Ocean City Beach Patrol Director Allan Karas emphasized the importance of the beach patrol’s jet ski program.
“This inlet rescue underscores the value of the OCBP jet ski program. The city has invested a lot of money into the jet ski program for equipment and training,” Karas said. “Every day, lifeguards and jet skis rescue people off of the beaches of Ocean City. We also regularly respond to both inlets and Dog Beach in Egg Harbor Township.”
Ocean City Beach Patrol and Ocean City Fire Department emergency medical personnel also responded by land.
Neither the husband or wife nor the dog required any medical treatment. Authorities did not release the names of the rescued couple or their hometown.
TowBoatUS Shamrock, a marine towing service from Ocean City, was dispatched to retrieve the pontoon boat.
The Ocean City Beach Patrol has started off the summer season busy, making a number of high-profile rescues.
On June 29 at 9:28 a.m., lifeguards kicked it into high gear a half an hour before they officially went on duty to make nine saves.
A family of four, whose identities and hometown were not released by authorities, was walking along the jetty rocks at Ninth Street when they fell in.
Five good Samaritans rushed to the jetty to try and help the parents and their two children, ages 9 and 12. Then, the rescuers needed to be saved.
Lifeguards raced into the water to rescue seven of the people. In addition, a lifeguard at First Street made a dash to get there on a jet ski to make more saves.
Two of the people received medical treatment from the Ocean City Beach Patrol’s EMS division. The other seven did not need medical treatment, Karas said.
In that incident, just as in Monday’s rescue, Karas spoke of how vital it is to have the jet skis to assist lifeguards in saving lives.
