Coast Guard recovers two in ocean after unmanned boat runs aground two and a half miles away
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
OCEAN CITY – A boating accident off of Ocean City left one man dead and another hospitalized Wednesday, Aug. 19.
The men were recovered by a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer in the ocean off the resort after their boat was found two and a half miles away, having run aground on the beach near Seacliff Road in the Gardens section of Ocean City.
The New Jersey State Police is investigating what they are calling an accident. A spokesman said the two men were ejected from the boat but the boat continued on, unmanned, until it ran aground in the Great Egg Harbor Inlet. A state police spokesman said it was unclear what caused the accident.
The deceased man was identified by State Police as Philip Azzante, 59, of Alloway in Salem County. The operator of the boat, George Boos, 73, of Thorofare in Gloucester County, survived.
The Coast Guard, working with the State Police and the Ocean City Police Department, located the two mariners in the water after their vessel was discovered aground just before noon Aug. 19.
State Police from the Atlantic City station responded to the scene of the abandoned boat at 11:58 a.m.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Delaware Bay command center were notified by the Ocean City Police Department that a 26-foot center console recreational vessel was found beached with personal belongings still aboard near Great Egg Harbor Inlet.
Ocean City police officers were able to identify one of the boaters using a cell phone that was found aboard, the Coast Guard reported, and State Police officers were able to acquire video feed from Somers Point Marina, confirming two individuals had left in early morning to get under way.
The Coast Guard said an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City launched to search the area along with a 29-foot Response Boat crew from Coast Guard Station Great Egg and small boat crews from OCPD and Longport Borough Fire Department.
The Dolphin helicopter aircrew arrived on scene, spotted the two persons in the water and lowered a rescue swimmer to assist while vectoring in emergency surface assets.
The two boaters were recovered, one of whom was unresponsive, and transported to shore by a partner agency for transfer to Shore Medical Center.
The State Police investigation was continuing Friday morning.