Brick Township firefighters and rescue dive teams were called to Lightning Jack’s III Marina on Ridge Road Thursday afternoon after a late model pickup truck slid down the ramp and became submerged in the Manasquan River.
The GMC truck was completely invisible when rescue crews arrived, necessitating divers to suit up and check the vehicle for fuel leaks or other issues. Divers from the Brick fire service’s underwater rescue and recovery teams then worked together to mark the site of the truck in the water, then hook up a line connected to the winch of a tow truck that eventually pulled the vehicle out.
“It was a joint effort,” said Kevin Batzel, chief of the township’s Bureau of Fire Prevention. The Herbertsville Fire Company led the effort with assistance from Breton Woods and Laurelton fire companies. Members of the Fire District 1 dive team and Fire District 2 recovery team performed much of the operation.
A witness at the scene told Shorebeat that the truck’s owner successfully launched his boat, but the truck slid down the ramp. He speculated that the truck may have been placed in neutral instead of park. The boat was not damaged and was tied up at a slip in the marina.
No injuries were reported, Batzel said.
