Overview

• Monday at 6:56 p.m., emergency calls reported swimmers in distress at Webster Avenue Beach, which was unguarded under a red-flag advisory limiting water depth to knee-high.
• Seaside Heights Fire Department’s ocean rescue team arrived within two minutes and used a jet ski and rescue swimmer to save six people caught in the rip current.
• A seventh swimmer was found half-submerged, pulled ashore, given CPR and taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where he was pronounced dead.
• Three other swimmers were hospitalized for water inhalation and are now in stable condition.
• Officials say the incident underscores persistent risks when lifeguards are off duty and emergency teams repeatedly face red-flag surf conditions.