Updated: Miracle After-Hours Water Rescue by O.C.B.P.!
Ocean City received a call from a man reporting his 17-year-old son missing in the surf at The Plaza, 9800 Coastal Highway, around 7:35 p.m. Saturday.
Off-duty Ocean City Beach Patrol guards responded to the scene to assist firefighters search for the missing teen. About 20 minutes later, he was spotted south of The Plaza struggling in the surf. It took about five more minutes before they were able to pull him to shore.
He was still alive but exhausted. After being reunited with his family he was taken to the hospital for an evaluation.
Saturday night’s rescue “was a terrific example of inter-departmental dependency,” says OCBP’s Lt. Skip Lee. “The Ocean City communications department received the call, the OCFD was dispatched and immediately, Battalion Chief Nick Kinhart, incident commander, requested beach patrol resources. An immediate ‘GroupMe’ message prompted 10 off-duty beach patrol members to respond to the call… Ocean City Fire-EMS and beach patrol combined to create an effective search and rescue effort,” he explained.
“Even the father had given up hope,” OCBP Capt. Butch Arbin said on Sunday. “This was a miracle for sure,” he added.
