Day: April 4, 2023

Barnegat Light, Berkeley, Ocean County

Coast Guard rescues two from aground vessel off the coast of Ocean County, N.J.

April 4, 2023

Berkeley Township, NJ (Ocean)–The Coast Guard rescued two mariners Monday night after their vessel ran aground off the coast of Ocean County, New Jersey. 

Coast Guard watchstanders received an initial alert over channel 16 via VHF-FM radio and attempted to make callouts but were unsuccessful. As units prepared to respond, the Coast Guard received a report from the New Jersey State Police that a 38-foot vessel ran aground on the north jetty of Barnegat Inlet. 

Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light launched a 45-foot response boat medium and a 27-foot utility boat.

Once on scene, the crew of the 27-foot utility boat brought the two mariners aboard and transported them back to Station Barnegat Light where EMS awaited. Station Barnegat Light confirmed that the operator of the vessel made the previous call over VHF-FM channel 16.

The mariners were in stable condition and were released.

Seaside Park Fire responded shoreside with a shallow watercraft to confirm the vessel ran aground on a sand bed and that there were no signs of pollution. The vessel was removed Tuesday morning by a commercial provider and taken to a local marina for repair.

“With better weather approaching we anticipate more vessels to be out so we’re encouraging all mariners to be properly prepared,” said Operations Specialist Timothy Weitzel, operations unit watchstander at Sector Delaware Bay. “Inspecting gear, checking the weather before your trip, and planning accordingly are key components to ensuring you and your passengers all have a safe and fun voyage. Giving a friend or family member a float plan that includes your itinerary, vessel description, contact information, and who is traveling with you is another tool to ensure you’re accounted for. Making a safety plan in case of emergencies won’t take long, and knowing what steps to take could be the difference between life and death.”

A 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from U.S. Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light, in Ocean County, New Jersey, is shown here passing through Barnegat Inlet and into the Atlantic Ocean, Aug. 8, 2021. U.S. Coast Guard Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class David Weydert

USCG File Photo

Howell, Monmouth County

Construction Worker Injured In Howell Township

April 4, 2023

HOWELL TOWNSHIP, NJ (MONMOUTH)–The Howell Township Police received a 911 call from workers at the Church Road bridge construction site near the Jackson Township Border reporting that an employee fell approximately twenty feet into an open trench and was injured. Upon the arrival of Howell First Aid, Southard Fire Department & Howell Police Department, several first responders were able to reach the injured party using ladders and stabilize him until he could be removed from the trench. The patient, a 66-year-old male from Bridgewater, was discovered to have suffered moderate injuries which required him to be hoisted from the trench. A specialized team from the Asbury Park Fire Department was contacted and responded to assist. The Asbury Park Fire Department Rescue Team entered the trench and with the assistance of the construction company equipment operator, utilized the construction crane that was onsite to safely hoist the patient from the trench and transfer him to the care of Howell First Aid & RWJ MICU. The patient was transported to Jersey Shore Medical Center for further care.

OSHA responded and will be conducting an investigation regarding the worksite accident.

Howell, Monmouth County

Howell Township Man Charged In Killing Pet Cat

April 4, 2023

FREEHOLD – A Howell Township man has been criminally charged with intentionally killing his pet cat, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Tuesday.    

Christopher Sanchez, 29, is charged with third-degree Animal Cruelty by Unnecessarily or Cruelly Abusing a Living Animal, Resulting in its Death.     

An investigation into Sanchez’s activities was initiated on Friday, March 31, when members of the Howell Township Police Department who were dispatched to a residence for an unrelated matter found the body of the cat outside the home.

Members of the Howell Township Police Department and the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Humane Law Enforcement Division conducted an investigation determining that the cat, named Lilith, had belonged to Sanchez, who is alleged to have used a sharp instrument to kill it two days earlier.

Sanchez was charged and arrested on the same day as the initial police response, then transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI) pending a detention hearing tentatively scheduled to take place in Monmouth County Superior Court on Wednesday, April 12.

Anyone with information about this matter is urged to contact Howell Township Police Department Patrolman Sean Heck at 732-938-4111, SPCA Chief of Humane Law Enforcement Michael Goldfarb at 732-542-0040, or SPCA Lt. Michael Magliozzo at 732-440-4538.

Convictions on criminal charges of this nature can be punishable by up to five years in state prison. This case has been assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors Keri-Leigh Schaefer and Sevan Biramian. Sanchez is being represented by Aaron Guttenplan, Esq.

Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.