Body Recovered Following Route 37 Bridge Incident in Toms River; Second Person Rescued
Authorities confirmed Tuesday morning that the body of a missing individual was recovered from Barnegat Bay following an incident Monday afternoon in which two people jumped from the J. Stanley Tunney Bridge along Route 37 in Toms River.
According to East Dover Fire Company, emergency crews were dispatched at approximately 2:34 p.m. Monday, November 2, after receiving reports of a person jumping from the bridge, which carries westbound Route 37 traffic from Seaside Heights toward Toms River.
East Dover Fire Chief Travis Veth arrived approximately four minutes later and observed another individual on the bridge. As the chief approached, that person jumped into the water below.
The individual remained conscious and responsive as emergency personnel deployed a life ring. Firefighters aboard an Island Heights Fire Company rescue boat successfully pulled the person from the water and transported them to Pier One Marina, where awaiting EMS personnel provided assistance.
The rescued individual was subsequently transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune and was reportedly in stable condition.
Meanwhile, information obtained from witnesses and available video footage indicated that another person had entered the water before emergency responders arrived.
An extensive search operation was launched involving the U.S. Coast Guard, New Jersey State Police, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, Toms River Police Department, and multiple fire and dive rescue teams.
Search crews continued working throughout Monday afternoon and evening before suspending operations at approximately 8:45 p.m. due to safety concerns.
The search resumed Tuesday morning, November 3, with assistance from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office and Toms River Police Dive Unit.
Authorities subsequently located and recovered the missing individual’s body from the water, bringing the search operation to a tragic conclusion.
Officials have not publicly released the identities of either individual or additional details surrounding the circumstances of the incident.
East Dover Fire Company expressed condolences to the deceased individual’s family and thanked the numerous emergency agencies involved in the rescue and recovery efforts.
