Point Pleasant Rescue Dive Team

Random shots....

2012-01-11T16:40:00.000-05:00

New Years 2012 Call...

2012-01-07T09:48:00.002-05:00

It was January 1st and the Dive Resuce Team was ready to have our first
dive of the year. We were to meet at the squad building on Sunday afternoon for
a fun and leisurely dive. However, things dont always go as planned. At 8:30 am
we received the call of a possible submersion. On the shore of "The Lake of the
Lillies", one of the many local lakes in Point Pleasant, a pair of shoes, a belt
and a pair of socks were found. No actual report of a sighting, but it must be
treated just the same.

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Responders included the Police, Point Pleasant Fire Dept, Point Pleasant
Boro First Aid & Dive Team, as well as the Point Pleasant EMS & Dive
ResuceTeam. Appoximately 30-40 resuce personel were on scene.
From the possible point of entry we instituted a search pattern using over
160' of search line. Using a semi-circular expanding line search we walked
through the sub-50 degree waters of the lake with negative results. While the
divers executed the search pattern in the water, the Point Boro Dive Team
searched the shores using their Rescue Boat and Kayak. No trace of a victim was
found and all rescue personel were pulled from the water. We searched the shores
of the lake, pressing through the dense reeds and thorns for possible exits,
entries or other evidence.

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The State Police helicopter arrived on scene and found several possible
hotspots. These turned out to be a banner and a large plastic bag. After over 5
hours on scene the decision was made to call off the search until further
evidence was forthcoming...

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The fire dept was very helpful as they brought their decontamination unit
and it was much appreciated after traipsing through all the goose droppings and
muck. Hats off to all the resuce personel for a job well done.

End of soggy wetsuit season....

2011-11-07T21:01:00.001-05:00

This weekend marked the probable last chance for the dive team to dive "Wet suit" for the 2011 season and the choice for the dive was the new Highlands Bridge just completed a month or so back. The new bridge has some pretty lines to it and it should for the estimated $124 million price tag that came with it and all the effort it took to complete a project like this...

"NJDOT will demolish the bridge and replace it with a 65-foot high fixed span structure with 12-foot lanes and 8-foot shoulders. NJDOT will construct the bridge in a manner that maintains existing traffic flow and minimizes seasonal impacts and diversion of traffic to local streets"

The old bridge had been there for a considerable amount of time and any qualified diver that has spent time under this bridge during and through a tidal change can only imagine the amount of water that has passed under this bridge over the years. This is one of the best dive sites to view marine sponges that have attached themselves to anything they can and thrive very nicely due to current and nutrients that pass by.

This site has been very beneficial in the past for training sessions dealing with swift currents as well as low visibility search techniques. Many fine old bottles have been recovered from this site as well as coins, medallions, jewelry, tools, and pretty much anything you can imagine being thrown by people standing on the bridge while the drawbridge was up and boat traffic was in progress. This site has also provided many different dive profiles for sometimes it was nice to swim the entire area depending on visibility and current conditions and at other times just finding a comfortable spot to simply "fan" and see what you could find. With that the entire area under the bridge provided many unique bottom profiles and at many times numerous underwater obstructions. Fortunately the people in the below video chose the correct high tide period to perform their stunt for the camera... If they only knew....

Chief Diver Nesley going over the dive site and profile with some of the recently certified divers. Great opportunity to inform those who had not experienced the site as to what to expect and some of the history to this area and dive site.

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Removal of some of the bridge abutments to the old bridge in the above photo...

Sue Lewicki inspecting some of the artifacts discovered during the dive

Picnic after the dive was at Sandy hook and provided the opportunity to debrief the dive and to go over and inspect the finds from the dive....

2011 Underwater Pumpkin Carving...

2011-10-31T09:40:00.004-04:00

Underwater Pumpkin Carving this year took on yet another challenge for the members of the dive team. It's hard enough to hold down a buoyant pumpkin while underwater 15-20 ft\sw, hollow out the same pumpkin and now have all that mess floating around your mask, pumpkin innards stringy things getting entangled in your regulator, current, and cold water. This year throw in some underwater visibility that makes you hope you come back to the surface with the same 10 fingers you took down with you...

Once again the Dive team completed the annual Underwater Pumpkin Carving contest\event which brings members together for a unique form of training as well as keeping the Dive team visible to the public they serve...

2011-09-12T20:59:00.000-04:00

Congrats !...

2011-09-12T20:53:00.000-04:00

Result of intensive training.....

2011-08-31T01:10:00.000-04:00

Even with living in central Virginia and almost 400 miles from the Manasquan Inlet and the Point Pleasant Beach area of central New Jersey, I still get sent e-mails of team functions as well as calls to duty when incidents occur. This just happened a few days ago when Team Captain Chet Nesley sent out the call after it was reported a body was seen floating in the hurricane Irene swells that were running the length of the Manasquan Inlet. Point Pleasant Rescue Dive Team members rolled out and responded to the Inlet that was still taking a pounding from Irene that was still coming up the coast and dropping substantial amounts of rain along with hurricane force winds. Upon arrival team members discovered a body floating near the "Jacks" of the Manasquan Inlet and attempt was made to retrieve the lifeless body but a 7 to 10 foot rolling wave came down the inlet separating Chief Nesley who was 6 to 8 feet from the body that was then washed into the "Jacks"...
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The above photo shows Chief Nesley among the massive concrete jacks searching for the missing body that he was separated from a short time ago. Unfortunately the body could not be located and retrieved that night and was retrieved along with another victim the next day...
Several local news services covered this story and can be found here:
Here and Here.....

While sitting in Virginia and following developments of this incident by way of Internet reports, emails, Facebook postings, and telephone calls, I started work on the initial post for this site with some background research of prior incident response and training sessions at the Manasquan Inlet and the Jacks then being searched. This Rescue Dive\Scuba team is not like many teams that are part of local Fire department or First-Aid teams across the country. This team has been known to be out in and seen training in many diverse conditions practicing and improving their skills. Many of these training missions can be seen here and they have obviously paid off as evident of the posture and actions of this team of dedicated members...

Many years ago while working on my PADI Rescue certification as well as eventual PADI Divemaster certification, it was evident that this training was not of the "basic" variety that I fear many divers have been cheated with by dive shops and Instructors who were more interested in moving students thru the system as fast as possible and greatest profit margin. This I compare with the resort training that I saw while living in the Florida Keys where divers could get their Rescue certification in a weekend and learned many of the skills at the dock with 2 to 4" waves usually created by passing boats. In comparison the training that I was fortunate to receive was over a 5 to 6 week period with many sessions spent in often rough Jersey surf and follow-up debriefing sessions athe the local 7-eleven...

Above photos show a frequent training session at the inlet and description here....

Above two photos show actual rescue at the Manasquan Inlet back in 2006 and description can be found here....

2011-08-29T23:45:00.003-04:00

POINT PLEASANT BEACH — The bodies of two cousins who told friends they were going out to the beach to see firsthand the arrival of Hurricane Irene in this seaside resort town were recovered from the jetty of the Manasquan Inlet on Monday, closing out a search effort that began Sunday evening after a call about a body spotted there...

Update: Link to new information on autopsies......

Body (2) recovery at Mannasquan Inlet after Hurricane Irene.....

2011-08-29T18:15:00.002-04:00

First article of incidnt here...

Team description and additional info to follow......

Wooden Boat Show ~2011~

2011-08-05T10:10:00.004-04:00

On Saturday, July 16, 2011, we once again participated in the Wooden Boat Festival at Huddy Park, Toms River. This event features dozens of antique, classic, and restored wooden boats on display, many open for visitors to board. You just had to watch out for the pirates that eternally seem to be running amok, but at least there was an ice cream festival down the street at the same time.

The event organizers were kind enough to spot our exhibit near one of the festival entrances, so we had a steady stream of visitors all day. The first gentleman we talked to, before we were even set-up, was actually a fall victim with a badly dislocated finger. We can't go ANYWHERE without a first aid call!

Joe had never worked one of these all-day events, but he's a quick study and jumped right in after Sue in manning the touch tank. This is still our biggest hit, both for children ("Animals!") and their parents ("Those live around here?"). We also took turns at our artifact table and with SCUBA man. How many photo ops can one dry suit take? We may never know...

The long day was also made fun by a troup of pirates-for-hire wandering, carousing, and generally riling things up. They were responsible for a couple of shootouts, a sword duel, and random cannon fire. One random passerby, who just really wanted to get some funnel cake, got stuck in the middle of their mayhem and was tossed over a bridge into the creek below. That's pirates for you.

By the end of the day, we'd once again met a lot of pleasant people happy to learn a little bit more about the natural Jersey Shore. We returned our specimens to Gull Island where they'd come from. Good luck to them all trying to explain their out-of-water experience to everyone back home!

Wedding Ring Recovery....

2011-06-29T18:24:00.000-04:00

When someone needs help in the ocean, they call the U.S. Coast Guard. When the Coast Guard needs help, they call us. At least they did on Tuesday, June 14, 2011. No one was in immediate danger, except one crew member whose wedding band dropped off the dock at Station Manasquan. (We don't know if his marriage was in actual danger, but we all wanted to get his ring back just the same.)

Chief Nesley reported to the station that day and spent two-and-a-half hours down with an underwater metal detector, with negative results. He discovered afterwards that he had not been directed to check the correct area off the dock.

On Sunday, June 19, we brought a second crew back to the station, and this time we got to speak directly with the crew member who lost his ring. He pointed right to the spot where the ring dropped off and added that tide had been running out 2-3 hours at the time. We dropped an anchor to mark the center point of the search area, followed by a quarter to observe how a small object would interact with the substrate. Vis was good, but the sediment there is like pudding. The coin plopped halfway into the muck (and didn't go any further), but every touch of the bottom erupted a silt cloud. We figured that the underwater metal detectors might be necessary, so we adjusted the sensitivities to pick up small objects.

Joe and Sue first drifted over the entire search area for a rough visual scan. Not seeing our target, they came back to the dock where Chet and Brandon assisted in getting them both outfitted with the underwater metal detectors. They returned to the bottom to begin the tedious process of sweeping a pattern. Within a few minutes, Joe returned to the dock, seemingly fed up and frustrated. He choked and complained to the Chief about the job, right before he "coughed" the ring up onto the dock!

At some point, Joe went back down to recall Sue. We were glad to complete another successful search & recovery mission, and one Coast Guard crew member was glad to have his wedding band back

Atlantic Traveler wreck at Mannasquan Inlet

2011-06-27T11:15:00.000-04:00

Today, June 26th, the Dive Team took another stab at cleaning up the debris leftover from the wreck of the Atlantic Traveler from several weeks ago. After the salvage company removed the bulk of the wreck, we had surveyed the area and shot some underwater video, revealing that several masses of netting and at least one metal pipe were sticking out of the sand south of Manasquan Inlet jetty, encroaching on the swimming area. Since the event, the lifeguards have been keeping people out of that zone. We were all looking forward to clearing this area.

Conditions were less than ideal, with 3-4 foot waves (sometimes bigger) rolling in sets and heavy surge tossing us back and forth. The only saving grace here was that, in those moments you weren't getting thrown around like a rag doll, the vis was good. Tom, Milton, Sue and Chet entered the water to clean up what we could while First Aiders Max, Sarah, and Sean helped on the beach with lines.

Sue and Tom first located the metal pipe sticking straight up out of the sand (within 2 feet of surface), so the flag was tied on to this as the center point of our search area. Pivoting around, they found several hunks of net sticking out of the sand and worked as best they could to cut away the masses for removal. After the bulk of the nets were removed, Milton and Chet proceeded to use a hacksaw to cut the pipe down to sand line. The first aid shore tenders pulled this pipe and Milton back to the beach. Sue tried to work on one last batch of netting on the swim back to the beach, but Chet finished the job with the hacksaw.

With everyone safe on shore, we showed all the debris and pipe to one of the lifeguard Captains and Jenkinson's staff, reporting that everything we found was cut back down to sand line and removed. They were pleased with these results in that a little more beach can be opened up safely for use again.

The vessel sank outside the south Jetty in an Ocean Environment in an upside down position. After more than three weeks of inclement weather, Donjon Marine was able to mobilize its 400-ton capacity Derrick barge Columbia, NY from its home base in Port Newark, New Jersey to perform the wreck removal of the vessel.
http://www.maritime-executive.com/pressrelease/donjon-marine-completes-work-on-sunken-atlantic-traveler-in-manasquan-new-jersey

June 10 - Donjon Marine mobilised its 400 tonne capacity derrick barge, Columbia, NY, to salvage the fishing boat Atlantic Traveler, which had sank after hitting the South Jetty of Manasquan Inlet off Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, USA.
http://www.heavyliftpfi.com/content/NewsItem.aspx?id=2949

F/V Atlantic Traveler
Manasquan Inlet, NJ 2011-May-11
On May 11, 2011 at 0451 EDT the 64' fishing vessel Atlantic Traveler sank outside of Manasquan Inlet, N.J. The vessel has 3,150 gallons of diesel onboard. This is about 600' from shore. Light sheen has been reported emanating from the vessel. All three people on board were removed safely.

Incident Details
Spill, potential spill, or other: Oil Spill
Cause of incident: Sunken Vessel
Products of concern: Diesel
Total amount at risk of spill: 3,150 gallons

Latitude (approximate): 40° 5.90' North
Longitude (approximate): 74° 1.80' West
http://www.incidentnews.gov/incident/8319

Artificial Reef....

2011-06-13T19:42:00.000-04:00

World Oceans Day ~2011~

2011-06-11T10:06:00.002-04:00

World Oceans Day is celebrated this week, so last Saturday, June 4, 2011, Jenkinson's Aquarium invited us to join their local celebration. This has become an annual event for us. This year, "1-2-3 and the Seas" and a Dr. Seuss theme in the aquarium's classroom made sure that, if nothing else, Sue would get a fun souvenir.

We first set up our table display with shells, bottles, and other artifacts, all collected from local waters. Display boards were also up about the First Aid Squad and Dive Team. Families stopped by throughout the day with questions about what lives out there and how we have to dress to dive throughout the seasons. "Drysuit Guy" was again a popular photo op. For one family, the exact minute we were explaining how we locate bottles, one of our archive videos of fanning for bottles rolled around - great timing! We could stop talking and they could see for themselves.

The Aquarium scheduled us to conduct three dive demonstrations in the seal tank over the course of the day. We always start with who we are and what it's like to dive in New Jersey. From the front of the seal tank, families then watched us perform some basic skills (mask flood-and-clear, mask removal and replacement, regulator recovery, hovering, etc.). Chet and Joe went first. Joe's first time in here went really well - it helps to have a theater background! Teams of Doug/Sue and Tom/Milton took their turns too, including videotaping from the inside of the tank. (How often does an exhibit take pictures of you?) The divers in the tank also challenged kids outside to a race and a high jump with Flo and Sue as referees.

It was an all-around fun day at the Aquarium with a lot to learn about the ocean. And Sue did get a Dr. Seuss crown.

Visit http://worldoceansday.org/ to see how others around the world celebrated.

Fishing Boat Wreck ~Manansquan Inlet~

2011-06-05T10:00:00.000-04:00

The crew, who were aboard the Atlantic Traveler, were unable to control the vessel after its hydraulic hose broke, and they lost their clutch and steering and began drifting toward the rocks, the spokeswoman said. The men had left port here, but it was unknown how long they were at sea before the boat capsized.

They were taken back to the station in Manasquan, where they received medical attention and were released, a Coast Guard spokeswoman said

Weapon Recovery Training....

2011-04-04T00:28:00.007-04:00

On Sunday, March 20, 2011, twelve members of the Dive Team were able to attend a lecture given at the Mantoloking Police Department on Underwater Evidence Recovery. Lt. John Barcus, a former member of the Squad and our current Liaison to the Mantoloking PD, delivered a very informative session sprinkled with real world scenarios and practical advice. Although the focus of the session was on firearms, it was made clear that many of the procedures and protocols apply to every underwater search and recovery operation.

Lt. Barcus outlined a general set of guidelines/sequence of events that should happen on any recovery dive call. The initial steps include contact with the Police OIC on arrival at a scene and a formal briefing from the Investigator. As every case is unique, knowing what you're looking for, where it is likely to be, and when and how it ended up in the water are all necesary. This baseline information will help in the planning of an efficent, safe search operation. When the initial search is conducted, the Police will defer to the Dive Team when it comes to actual dive protocols and safety management.

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If evidence is located within the search zone, it is vital that the find initially be documented, but not disturbed. Instead, we are to mark the site and/or keep a diver with the evidence, and a diver should return to the surface for recontact with the Police. An Investigator will want to view evaluate photos or a video right then and there. He/she can then provide directives on how that particular piece of evidence needs to be handled in its recovery, both from a safety perspective and for the sake of maintaining its forensic value. Lt. Barcus had numerous firearms, some involved in actual cases, available for us to view and handle, and he demonstrated the proper ways to handle (and not handle) them, underwater or otherwise.

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Lt. Barcus also discussed Chain of Custody issues when it comes to handling evidence. In general, the fewer hands from locating evidence to it being handed and signed over to an Investigator, the better. With a formal debriefing and the voluminous, obligatory documentation, even a session involving very little bottom time could run for a very long time when it's all said and done. Every case is unique, so you just don't know. However, if a criminal case's investigation is dependent on its forensic evidence, we'd like to think that we could provide a valid piece of the picture. Many thanks go to John and the rest of the Mantoloking Police Department. There might be too many crabs down there for him, but us and the PD are prepared to mutually support each other in an underwater evidence recovery.

2011 Fishermen's Flea Market.....GUARANTEED TO SINK....

2011-02-20T20:23:00.005-05:00

On Sunday, February 20, 2011, the Dive Team participated in what has become an annual fundraiser. Ocean Fire Company #1 has been hosting a Fishing Flea Market at Antrim Elementary School in the middle of town for many years now, and they have been generous enough to provide us one free table for our own fundraising purposes.

As in the past, our table mostly featured lead sinkers and recycled jokes. Once customers were indeed convinced that all of our merchandise had been field-tested, pre-seasoned, guaranteed to sink, and found in the USA, many were happy to make a small donation for the salvaged goods (and so we would stop the bad jokes). They were especially reassured that we would refund TWICE the purchase price of any sinkers if they were found to float.

All told, we sold over 1000 pounds of lead, plus recovered antique bottles, anchors, grappling hooks, and fishing poles. Normally, Larry the Singing Lobster would have provided our musical accompaniment, but when he wouldn't shut up with "Don't Rock the Boat" and "Let Me Take You on a Sea Cruise" early on, he got deep-sixed under the table.

In the middle of all this, we also covered two first aid calls and took shifts to visit the SCUBA Flea Market in Toms River.

We moved a lot of merchandise (most of it heavy), but with 11 members committing to the day, it all worked out. Once again, thanks go to the fire company for giving us the opportunity one more year.

North Atlantic White side Dolphin Rescue.....

2011-02-15T10:04:00.003-05:00

Wed Feb 9, 2011, Call for stranded dolphin in mantoloking. First on scene where volunteers from Jenkinsons aquarium, Tom Trafer was first of the dive team to respond followed by Doug hack and Tom Conroy.

There were also 2 members of the Mantoloking Police department there We stayed on scene waiting for Marine mammal stranding center to arrive. The fact that it was on such a deserted beach kept the onlookers away. We kept the dolphin's skin wet by pouring water over it.

The MMSC (Marine Mammal Stranding Center) identified it as a young North Atlantic White side. Once they arrived we loaded the dolphin into a sling and transported it up to their waiting vehicle.

Seal Sitting Season - Say that three times fast....

2011-01-31T19:37:00.004-05:00

Over the last few years, numerous members of the First Aid Squad - divers and EMTs alike - have undergone training as Stranding Volunteers for the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, and it's been coming in handy a lot recently. While at the first aid building this morning, the Police Department AND the Marine Mammal Stranding Center called us at the exact same time for one of what could be one of many seal spottings this winter. Four Squad members immediately headed to the Maryland Avenue beach at the south end of Point Pleasant to investigate. Two police officers had arrived on scene ahead of us and were keeping beachcombers away from a harbor seal hauled up above the waterline.

We approached the seal slowly, took cell phone pictures from various angles, and e-mailed them to MMSC for evaluation. They contacted Flo back, who further relayed our behavioral observations. It was determined that this young female did not seem to need any assistance; she just seemed to be chilling out in the sun.

Our job at that point was to seal sit, keeping passerbys at least 100 feet back and providing a little education. Everyone was interested to learn that harbor seals ARE common in our area, and we should expect them to haul out regularly during the winter months. According to MMSC, the greatest number of potential stranding calls in NJ do originate from Ocean County. The field guide provided to us by MMSC was also a great resource to share. It even includes a picture of the seal's jaws, so people didn't need too much convincing to stay back!

After two hours, with tide working up the beach, the seal shimmied back into the water, spent a few minutes close to shore, and then disappeared.

Yup, Seal Sitting Season has begun. We're glad that the only thing this one needed was to be left alone.

To learn more about the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, visit http://www.mmsc.org/ .

Ice Training ~2011~

2011-01-23T18:42:00.007-05:00

On Sunday, 1/16/11, the Point Pleasant Beach First Aid Squad - divers and EMTs - had a very productive Ice Rescue/Dive drill. For some long-time members, this was an annual refresher, but for several newer members this was a first-time exposure to these scenarios. We don't necessarily get ice thick enough to train on/under every winter, so the last few weeks of cold weather turned out to be a blessing.

We used a bayside cove off of Bergen Avenue in Mantoloking for the drill. Lt. Barcus, former diver and Liaison with Mantoloking PD, stopped by and made sure that the local authorities and residents were aware that this was a drill.

On arrival, Chief Nesley first reviewed how to evaluate ice conditions and getting on safely. Our drysuited divers then went to test the extent of walkable ice. (You could, of course, easily discover this by just walking until you break through; it was walkable two steps before that point.) Alternately, we practiced sensing the first flexing of the ice, and then got down on hands and knees, and then spread out flat to distribute weight and stay on top of things as long as possible.

Once in, everyone then practiced pulling him/herself and a victim out of the hole. This is not easy when the edge continues to break underneath the weight of two people. We then demonstrated that a human chain is an effective remedy for this, as is use of a tethered backboard. Asst. Chief Melo also presented patient care protocols once any victim is removed from the ice.

We then prepared for scuba dives under the ice. We started out with the standard triangular entry hole (which came out very neat this time). Seven divers then took turns being harnessed, tethered, and tendered under the ice. Our line pull system is a simple but effective means of communciation between diver and tender, so we practiced delivering instructions very deliberately.

Tom T was first in and experienced some navigation issues on his first ice foray since last year, but his second assigned course went much more smoothly. Getting comfortable under the ice takes time, as first timer Dave found out next. Doug and Tom C took their turns with smooth results, although the vis by the hole was getting murky.

On Sue's run, she'd been instructed to come up to the bottom of the ice in the middle of the cove so that Chief Nesley could show everyone topside what a diver's bubble trail looks like through the ice. However, the ice was too thick and frosty to much make out the diver, but they cut a fresh hole big enough to fit a head out. Sue once again proved that you shouldn't expect to be able to chisel your way out from down below with a knife (Newton was right - equal and opposite reactions). Finally, Eric and Chet took their turns, and we all wondered how they navigate so well under these conditions. All the while, Flo stayed topside with EMTs Jen, Max, Tom G, and Captain Meany, briefing them on what the divers were doing and the assistance they might need upon exit.

Having spent over 3 hours on and under the ice, most of us had cold hands, but everyone (wet and dry) felt that this was very productive. You never know what you'll get a real ice call, but we feel better prepared to respond.

Dry Suit Training.....

2011-01-09T21:55:00.003-05:00

For our divers, readiness for a winter water emergency includes not only having the gear and skills, but also simply being acclimated to the season. We all need to be dressed properly and then be ready to function underwater. We used Sunday, January 9, 2011, as a training day of all sorts: cold water, drysuit, sinker collection, fundraiser prep, surface support, and compressor operation recertification.

We had a good crew turnout (8 divers, 5 surface support personnel), and everyone one of us had to deal with the cold weather and significant wind chill factor. The Fisherman's Flea Market rolls around next month, so we'd planned on doing some serious sinker collecting in Manasquan Inlet. Each team was armed with a sinker tube, but the 40 degree water and poor vis (3-4 feet) limited our bottom times and ability to locate the "Mother Lode" that Chief Nesley had hoped for. We still managed to haul in about 50 pounds of lead and lures. Asst. Chief Melo and Tom Trafer, both divers, stayed topside to brief and supervise our first aiders. Max, Sarah, and Todd got their first exposures to assisting divers into their drysuits and completing cold water gear-up. In this season especially, having surface support on the wall is also greatly appreciated when it comes to hauling tubes and gear out at the exit point.

After we packed it in at the dive site and cleaned gear, Chief Nesley then ran all the divers through recertification for compressor operations. Our air compressor is serviced and its gas tested twice a year, so we have great confidence in its performance. In line with this, our divers are also checked out twice a year in its proper operation. With the right training in safety and taking advantage of our compressor's cascade system, it is never a problem for us to fill tanks or wait to get tanks filled.

It was a productive day with a lot of training. We got to train a few more surface support personnel, who mostly enjoyed themselves, despite the cold. We'd like to thank Max, Sarah, and Todd for their active participation. It gives us peace of mind as search and rescue divers knowing that someone has our backs. Only their hands got wet, but our surface support personnel and first aiders are vital to the safety and function of our team.

Rescue Dive Team over the years... 2010

2011-01-04T21:42:00.011-05:00

While working on the photo database and trying to get all of the photos together from over the years thought it might be interesting to post a little from each of the events "over the years"...

Blizzard Dive December 2010

Rescue 34 Boat training

Sinker Sales

Ice Training Dive

Night Search Call

Pygmy Whale Rescue

Pumpkin Contest

Lost Ring Recovery

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Rescue Dive Team over the years... 2009

2011-01-04T20:23:00.010-05:00

Mohawk Training Dive

New Jersey Maritime Museum

Marine Mammal Stranding Center assist

Mantaloking Beach

Inlet Jacks Rescue Training

Sinker Sale

Boat Race

Rescue Dive Team over the years... 2008

2011-01-04T20:22:00.000-05:00

Missing Kayaker Search

Mannasquan Inlet Find

Jenkinson's Seal Tank

Pumpkin Contest

Marina obstruction removal

Coast Guard Training Class

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Rescue Dive Team over the years.... 2006~2007

2011-01-04T19:56:00.008-05:00

Coast Guard Car Wash

Jenkinson's Tube Race

Body Recovery offshore

Mannasquan Inlet Memorial Day Jetty Rescue

Highlands Bridge

Water Evacuation Training \ Practice

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2011 New Years Dive...

2011-01-02T22:11:00.004-05:00

We welcomed 2011 off to its start with our annual First Dive of the New Year. Fortunately, the weather topside had taken a turn for the warmer (40F and sunny) after last weekend's blizzard, so everyone was in good spirits for gearing up. We still had to shovel a path through the snow piles to get access to the dive site, but that also gave Sue the opportunity to do some snow sculpture while waiting for the tide to slow down.

It started out as fun, but then the Spawn of Squanny nearly bit her arm off! Lucky for Sue, the sun intervened and melted off its head.

At the Railroad Bridge, the water temp was about 37F. The ebb tide was running very late, but at some point we got tired of waiting and entered. Even with the current running, we had about 10 feet of vis (our best in a LONG while). Fourteen divers (four of whom drove over an hour to participate) toured the site and came out with smiles. Several divers also collected a diversity of small crabs for delivery to Jenkinson's Aquarium. After gear was cleaned, we all enjoyed a warm lunch and desserts.

We're glad that so many divers could make it out for the First Dive, and thanks go to Robert for documenting the day.

Blizzard Dive December 2010....

2011-01-02T22:10:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin Carving fest 2010....

2010-11-01T22:58:00.002-04:00

On Sunday, October 24th, 2010, the Point Pleasant Beach First Aid Dive Team hosted Yet Another Annual Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest (we’ve totally lost count). We had a small turnout this year, but that just meant more cider and donuts for those who could make it!

Among the entries were Robert’s self portrait (including the tissue sticking out his nose) and another likeness of our Chief Diver (which, despite the blatant attempt to appeal to the judge’s vanity, still wasn’t enough to garner a prize). Tom Trafer crafted a crow-and-bat cage for the Most Creative prize, while Doug’s seahorse and Sue’s octopus tied for Best Carved.

Flo and Tom continued their team’s legacy in the Cheap Joke Award with the Toothpick Puffer. Despite the fact that they only actually carved three circles, they almost lost all their props when they opened their bag underwater and forgot that toothpicks will want to float away! They struggled valiantly to capture all the fugitives, resulting in yet another successful goofy pumpkin. Will they ever be dethroned???

It was a beautiful day topside, so we really appreciated that some of our families stopped by to visit the finished works and share a little fun with us.

As always, many thanks go to Cheesequake Farms of Old Bridge, NJ, for donating cider and the pumpkins! (We roasted the seeds later on for a great snack.) This event is only possible with their support.

Rescue 34 Boat Training....

2010-09-13T22:33:00.006-04:00

Between the bad vis last week, and the nearshore leftovers from Hurricane Earl, our Rescue students and other Dive Team members have spent the last two weekends training with our boat and more surface rescue techniques.

We took Rescue 34 out (our 16 foot Zodiac rigid hull inflatable), first launching in Barnegat Bay and heading north up the Point Pleasant Canal, a manmade channel to Manasquan River, then out the busy inlet to the ocean.

An experienced crew member offered this advice about Rescue 34 to the new crew: "You don't ride in this boat; you hang on to it." We worked together to read the waves and shift body weight appropriately, allowing the driver to better get up on plane readily and maneuver efficiently. We also practiced coordinated surface scans and communication protocols with the boat operator about surrounding boat traffic.

Offshore, we had a little space to practice surface rescue techniques, such as dropping a rescuer off the boat to directly assist a victim in the water, and then extracting the victim. Chief Nesley and Tom C first demonstrated how to safely roll out of the boat at high speed (which, if you execute correctly, is a bit of fun). They then showed how to get yourself back into the boat unassisted, and how to assist a victim. Rescue students Milton and Joe took a few turns at it themselves and shortly showed improvement. We returned nearshore to practice closer to the beach swells, and at one point, two BayHead lifeguards even swam out through the waves to meet us. They got themselves into the boat, and we gave them a lift two beaches north back to where they came from. Milton and Joe demonstrated their new high speed dropoff-in-the-surf skills, which the lifeguards then replicated. They thought it was cool enough that they swam back out to the boat, climbed in again, and we dropped them off a second time at the beach where we started!

We've also taken advantage of the warm water to get in a little open ocean swimming and snorkeling. Today, we finally found clear water - 1 mile offshore! Free diving down from the surface, we found near-tropical water full of comb jellies and salps (aka "jellyblobs"). Fortunately, these organisms are not stingers, so we emerged unscathed.

Although much of this training is beyond the scope of a PADI Rescue Diver course, these are all practical skills for us to have under our belts in Point Pleasant Beach.

Rescue Dive Training then a Rescue...

2010-09-12T21:51:00.006-04:00

Rescue class continued on Sunday, September 12 for Milton and Tom T. With the annual Tube Race coming up next week and some sloppy waves building on the beach, we began there with surf entries. We worked on observing the surf, timing waves, and making over and under approaches. We also practiced entries and assists with rescue cans, and assisting a victim out through the surf.

We then moved our operations further up Manasquan River at Gull Island. We revisited panicked and unconscious divers at the surface, and utilized several forms of egress.

We had just finished the session, visited the 7-11 across the street for coffee, and actually jumped into a real rescue! Another dive class was beginning with the tide still coming in strongly. Most of the class was sufficiently far enough away from the railroad bridge to function, but one pair of divers ended up in the center of the channel too close to the bridge and was swept underneath. All by itself, this presents no danger, but the tide washed them up against the marina docks. Here all they could do was hold on, as the current was still too strong to swim back against, and it would have been difficult to work back to shore along the docks from there while being washed underneath.

Milton and Tom headed down the marina docks to assist from above while Chief Nesley jumped in from the bridge for the quickest response from water. When contact was made, the divers were quickly tiring from hanging on in the swift current and at least one was becoming panicky. Chief Nesley held onto the first diver and had her float under the dock to the leeward side, making it easier for Milton and Tom to haul her up onto the dock fully geared. The second diver was instructed to also move to the downstream side of the dock, and the extraction was repeated.

Our Rescue Divers learn very quickly that class sessions are not just academic exercises - skills really sink in (no pun intended) when you immediately apply them. You never know what is going to happen!

Wooden Boat Festival 2010...

2010-08-03T11:19:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, July 17, 2010, we were once again invited by the US Coast Guard Auxiliary to display at the Wooden Boat Festival, held annually in Huddy Park, Toms River. We were unable to participate last year due to previous commitments, but the organizing committee received positive feedback about our tent the prior year, so we made it fit this season.

We met at 6 am to first collect specimens for our live touch tank display. We had to deal with mid-tide currents at the Gull Island railroad bridge, so Tom and Chet had their hands full just maintaining position in the channel. Flo and Sue managed to gather some "aquascaping" (i.e. encrusted rocks and seaweed) and hermit crabs from shore, as well as fill 4 additional buckets with seawater that would be needed to cool the temporary display. Tom and Chet finally managed to gather enough sea stars and other invertebrates that we could stock the tank and keep some in holding to rotate into the exhibit throughout the day.

The festival's organizing committee provided us with a space next to the main parking lot, so we had steady visitor traffic throughout the day. Our tent featured underwater photographs, an artifact and shell display, and the touch tank. The temperature was in the 90s, with just a little breeze, so we had to be vigilant in keeping the live tank cool. We kept sliding the tub around to keep it in the tent shadow, did several water changes with the reserve water, and floated ice packs when the sun had moved around enough that the tent couldn't shade it. As in the past, both adults and children had lots of questions about what lives right off the Jersey Shore, and almost everyone took a look at the bottles. For a hot day, we had a very pleasant crowd, which may have had something to do with the fact that an Ice Cream Festival was also happening just a few blocks away!

Alas, we couldn't stop for ice cream, as we had to return all of the live specimens back to Manasquan River.

As soon as that mission was accomplished back in Point Pleasant, a more urgent call came in.

Missing swimmer Manasquan Inlet...

2010-08-02T09:58:00.005-04:00

Shortly after 7 pm on Saturday, July 17, 2010, while we were still cleaning up from the Wooden Boat Festival, an emergency call came in for a submerged swimmer right off Manasquan Inlet jetty. (The normal lifeguard crew is off the beach by 5:30 pm, and red flags had been posted on the beach, but with such a hot day, hundreds of people were still in and near the water at the time of the incident.) As it had been a busy day, many squad members were already at the squad building and immediately responded to Jenkinson's Beach at its closest access point. First Aid Captain Jerry Meany, a first aid crew, and a dive crew got on scene within 4-5 minutes (the time it takes to get across town) and discovered one man being assisted out of the rocks by a Jenkinson's security officer and bystander. The crowd indicated that a second man had gone down right off the south tip of the jetty minutes before.

Sue had responded to the beach in exposure suit, mask, fins, and snorkel, so she surface swam to the point of last contact and searched the outside of the jetty. With several breathhold dives, she also dipped down to look for the victim, but with ZERO vis and heavy surge, all she could do was feel the bottom and avoid getting smashed into the jetty herself. Within a few more minutes, Chet and Tom C also made it to the beach in full scuba gear and entered to conduct a more thorough search at the base of the rocks and concrete. They had no more success than the surface swimmer and found themselves totally enveloped in sea lettuce and in even more risk of being swept with the surge into the jetty. One of them described the experience as "being in a washing machine" and one of the worst dives he's ever had to do.

In the meantime, several first aiders and volunteer fire fighters were also posted around the jetty to help with spotting. The US Coast Guard, State Police, Point Pleasant Boro FD, and Budget Towing also had boats on the water to provide eyes and possible assistance from offshore. With increasing surf and surge and fading light, we pulled our divers from the water, and the USCG helicopter conducted a search with a thermal imaging camera, with negative results. Deteriorating water conditions and darkness led all parties to suspend the search for the night by 9:30 pm.

We returned to the beach Sunday morning to resume our in-water search under better conditions, recognizing that this had become a recovery operation. Our Rescue 34 boat (Doug, Paul, Tom T, and Tom C) and the private vessel of one of our first aid squad members (Jonathan, with Megan and Tom G) ran patterns up and down the beach to look for the victim from the surface. Simultaneously, two divers repeated last night's search of the tip of the jetty, but the sea lettuce and low tide surge still resulted in this pattern being conducted solely by feel. Due to the still-dangerous conditions, these divers exited the water.

In the meantime, the State Police returned with their boat and ran a pattern using side scan sonar. By mid-tide, water conditions and visibility had improved significantly, so we sent another three divers back in. Chet was finally able to conduct a systematic check of all the crevices around the tip of the jetty. Sue and Milton drifted with the incoming tide around the jetty tip and into the inlet proper to to investigate potential snag locations. After over an hour of searching with negative results, the search was called off until further sightings or information becomes available.

Our condolences go out to the family of the victim.

Asbury Park Press article

UPDATE: On Friday, July 23, 2010, the victim's body was spotted floating about one mile offshore outside of Manasquan Inlet and subsequently recovered by United States Coast Guard Station Manasquan.

Response to Reported Missing Swimmer...

2010-07-19T21:22:00.003-04:00

This summer has quickly proven to be incredibly busy for the Point Pleasant Beach First Aid Squad and its Dive Team. Over the long Fourth of July holiday weekend alone, we responded to nearly 100 emergency calls, many of which were heat- and/or beach-related. Off the beach, water temperatures have shot up over 10 degrees in the last two weeks, so it is suddenly very comfortable to be in the ocean (we normally don’t experience these water temperatures consistently until well-into August). Check out http://www.thecoolroom.org/swimmers/swim_sst.htm for satellite imagery of local sea surface temps.

Although we’ve been missing some dive time to help cover all the land-based first aid calls, we’ve managed a few dives in the warm water. Shark River Inlet, in Avon , is out of our normal coverage area, but is only accessible for diving from 5pm – 8am during the summer, so we took advantage of the opportunity to do night dives there the last two weekends.

On Friday, 7/10, the night dive session was a little challenging with a quick tide change and low visibility. Immediately upon exiting the water, we were notified that a call for a possible missing swimmer was in progress back in Point Pleasant . Assistant Chief Melo had assumed command of Beach Operations and was already on scene with Brandon, Tom T, and Paul, and a first aid crew. When the still-wet dive crew arrived, that added 5 more sets (Chet, Milton, Sue, Andy, and Dave) of eyes on the beach. Also present were the Ocean FDs #1 and #2 and the Point Pleasant Boro FD and FA. With very rough surf and no confirmed victim, we conducted our primary search from shore with lights. The USCG, State Police, and Budget Towing (captained by Tom Hurst and crewed by our divers Tom C and Doug) participated in the search off shore, taking great caution to stay out of the rough conditions by the beach. At some point, a white object which could have been a t-shirt was spotted, so two rescue swimmers were sent to make contact - Milton got a rough lesson in rough surf entries, but he wisely extracted himself, while Chief Nesley went out to the object; once there he could only describe debris and lots of sticky sea foam, which could have been mistaken for a solid object. The USCG vessel even deployed two flares to help illuminate the night surf, and we could still find no victim. Upon further communication, it was revealed that the original emergency call from a bystander did not clearly describe an actual human body in the surf, and at least one experienced fisherman relayed that ocean sunfish (Mola mola) had been spotted around Manasquan Inlet and close to shore earlier in the day. Based on direct observations and the fact that still no one had been reported missing, we determined that this was a false alarm.

The following day, the first aid calls (almost all on the beach and boardwalk) just kept piling up on top of each other, and ANOTHER dive call came in - boat on fire, people in water. Four rescue divers got fully suited-up for a surface rescue while bouncing around in the back of 347 in the time it took to drive to the call. What the crew didn't know was that the USCG canceled us on the way there, so when we jumped out the back of the truck on arrival, we were very surprised to discover that we'd been re-routed to a first aid call on the beach. (Unless someone in the cabin tells you, you really have no idea what's going on outside when you're in the back of the dive rescue truck.)

It's going to be a loooong summer....

World Oceans Day ~Jenkinson's~

2010-06-07T10:13:00.003-04:00

Jenkinson's Aquarium, located on the boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach, once again celebrated World Oceans Day (officially June 8th) this past Saturday, June 5th. In addition to special arts & crafts and the presence of several environmental stewardship organizations, the Dvie Team was once again invited to share our underwater explorations with visitors.

We set up a display area featuring local underwater videos, artifacts, shells, and the infamous "Drysuit Guy". He might not be a superhero, but the fully assembled and inflated set of winter dive gear always makes for a great photo opportunity! The later part of the afternoon sent us especially interested visitors (probably looking to escape the hot, humid beach and boardwalk outside)

The highlight of our day was still conducting scuba diving demonstrations in the seal tank. Seaquin, Coral, and Luseal (the residents) were good-natured about sharing their tank with us three times throughout the day. Visitors got to see what a fully-suited Jersey diver looks like as we performed basic mask, regulator, and buoyancy skills. We were also glad to FINALLY be in wetsuits for the season; the tank was 74 degrees F, toasty compared to the 54 of the ocean.

It was a long day to be on display, but most of the Team was able to help out for at least part of the day, which included responding to four first aid calls around town.

For more about World Oceans Day, visit http://www.theoceanproject.org/

Pygmy Sperm Whale...

2010-05-16T23:17:00.003-04:00

The Point Pleasant First Aid Dive Team has had some very interesting
activities in the recent years. This story ranks high among their
finest rescues. Here is the report.

At 1530 hours on May 15, 2010 the Point Pleasant First Aid Dive Team
was dispatched to Mantoloking Beach to aid a beached whale. The day was
beautiful. Not a cloud was in the sky, air temps were in the high 70's,
and a mild wind was blowing out of the west. Conditions at the shore
were excellent and if not for this call, divers would have considered
an ocean dive. When duty calls the dive team responds in numbers and
effect. This day was one of those days.

Assistant chief, Flo Melo, and Tom Conroy had gotten alerted earlier
and were already on scene. Chief diver, Chet Nesley, was called and he
notified the squad where Tom Gormley made the call to dispatch the dive
team on Chet's order. All team members were notified to go directly to
1073 Route 35 south in Mantoloking, the roadway site of the call. Dave
Gibson and Norva Gormley drove 342 to the site. Tom G loaded 347 with
the requested gear and drove to the site. First Aid Captain, Jerry
Meaney, drove 340 to the site as well.

On scene Flo and Tom C were attending the whale with the aid of several
local residents and beach goers. They had gotten the whale carefully
situated on the edge of the surf on the up[hill berm to relieve as much
stress as they could. Flo called immediately for a stokes basket from
Jerry M, while Tom G delivered dry suits to the site and donned his own
for immediate water assistance. Doug and Tom C also donned dry suits.
The water was still only in the high 40 degree range and people were
standing in the cold water assisting the whale for many minutes
already. Fortunately waves were only in the 1 to 2 foot range due to
the westerly winds.

The Mantoloking Fire Department and Police Department was called and
would arrive momentarily. The US Coast Guard was on alert and standing
by. Meanwhile members of the dive team were arriving and this was a
success of the E-dispatch system. Doug Hatch and Paul DeSalvo from the
team had been E-dispatched.

Meanwhile the whale was being supported and protected from incoming
waves and was physically moved onto the stokes basket with a mighty
effort of all involved. Children in the area were asked to name the
female whale which was identified as a Pygmy sperm whale according to
Flo, Tom C, and Chet who are also members of the Marine Mammal
Stranding Center, which is located in Brigantine. The children named
the whale Suzie. We all were doing our utmost to save and comfort Suzie
in her time of need. There is no doubt that humans feel a definite
attraction and need to assist at a time like this. Except for a police
officer, all of those involved were non paid but professional
volunteers and requested local residents.

With the arrival of the Fire Dept, we were gaining manpower to be able
to do some heavy lifting. The plan was to move Suzie off the beach so
she could eventually be placed on a large box truck coming from the
MMSC and off to their center for care. A plan was developed and
actuated to first slide Suzie off the berm onto level sand and then to
lift her onto the bed of the town's pickup. Suzie was 9 feet long and
weighed approximately 600 pounds. Moving her was done purely by human
muscle and it succeeded nicely. The pickup needed a pull from a bobcat
tractor to make it off the beach and again manpower lifted Suzie onto
the MMSC's truck.

A loud cheer was finally made to the satisfaction of a growing crowd of
interested and supporting onlookers. This was a job well done out of
love and admiration for our fellow creatures that live so close to us
in our Atlantic Ocean. A big thank you goes to all who participated and
assisted. The dive team could not have done the job alone though they
were a strong reason for the success.

Several local and statewide media services came to the scene and
interviewed Flo and Chet on behalf of the dive team. We made news in a
very favorable way today.

The call was completed at 1820 hours and the team completed cleaning
gear by 2030 hours. It was a long day. The sad news is that Suzie
succumbed to her condition on the way to Brigantine despite our efforts
to keep her wet, cool, and protected from sunlight. We had done our
best and would do this again in a Point Pleasant heartbeat.

Report by Tom Gormley for the Pt Pleasant First Aid Dive team

Local media coverage here...
and here...

Ring Recovery....

2010-05-03T12:06:00.004-04:00

On Friday night, April 30, 2010, the Dive Team received an underwater Search and Recovery request from one of the town's Police Detectives. A couple, while working around their boat at Kingsbridge Marina, reported a missing purse. The woman had placed it on the cover of their dock box, but a wind blew the cover open, flinging the small purse into the water. Chief Nesley, Paul, and Dave went in at 10 pm to sweep under the dock to search for the purse. The divers had about 10 feet of visibility, but with the darkness and swiftly moving current, the object was not recovered.

We returned on Saturday morning with Chet, Dave, Milton, and Sue. This time, the boat owners met us at the dock and we were able to get a first-hand account of how, where, and when the item went missing. Most importantly, we learned that the tide was outgoing at the time of the loss (we had previously been told incoming), and that the brick-size purse had a ring of keys in it. This allowed us to better plan a search area, considering water movement, bottom composition, and how quickly the object should have sank.

Milton and Sue began their search by stringing a line between the dock (right under the boat) over to the railroad bridge to the east, with both ends anchored. They used this for visual reference to sweep back and forth, covering a large patch of real estate where the purse should have headed when it was lost. Meanwhile, Chet and Dave conducted an intensive search under the bridge itself; if the tide did bring the purse this far, the jumbled bottom structure and debris there would have likely snagged any rolling object.

After about a half hour of fruitless searching by both teams, Milton and Sue changed course to recheck around the dock and to the west. Lucky for Sue, she had trouble clearing one of her ears! Normally, that's not a lucky event, but her delayed descent dropped her down separated from Milton. While she was getting her bearings to decide whether to pursue her partner or sweep under an adjacent dock on her own, SHE LANDED ON THE PURSE.

All four divers regrouped and headed back to the truck, appearing to call it quits. The couple saw us ungearing and wanted to know how things went. Chief Nesley had some Good News and some Bad News for them. He gave them the Bad News first: "From this dock to the OTHER side of the bridge, it's not there." Then the Good News: "It was right over there, ten feet away from your boat." Roseann was ecstatic, so much so that she didn't think twice about giving bear hugs to four soaking wet divers. Her purse was soaked, but it had been zippered shut, so nothing had been lost. Even the ChapStick survived!

2010 "Sale of the Sinkers"....

2010-03-07T10:52:00.005-05:00

On Sunday, February 21, 2010, we were all geared up for one of our annual fundraisers. Every year, Ocean Fire Company #1, stationed in Point Pleasant Beach, runs a Fisherman's Flea Market, renting space in Antrim Elementary School in the center of town. As a professional courtesy to another EMS organization, the Fire Department has always provided us a table, free of charge, to allow us
to sell our wares. SELL WE DID!

In and among all the fishing and nautical supplies, our table was to feature about 1 ton of lead (we're not exaggerating) in the form of recovered sinkers. No sooner did we arrive at the school, before the flea market opened, and other vendors were fighting over who would get to purchase our scrap lead in bulk. Assistant Chief Melo brokered a couple of deals, and then we focused on smaller sales. We started at 20 ounces for $1, and it only got better for customers from there. Fishermen who didn't even know that they needed sinkers bought
sinkers! Who could resist, considering that our sinkers were pre-seasoned,
field-tested, bottom-compatible, AND guaranteed to sink!

"You dropped it, we found it!" We also sold a basin of recovered lures, three
salvaged fishing poles, and a dozen "nautical antiques" (old bottles). Chet,
Flo, three Toms, two Daves, Doug, Sue, Mark, and new guys Chris and Justin, all
took a turn behind the table.

Our goal: Don't carry anything back.
Mission accomplished.

Now we've got to start collecting sinkers AGAIN....

Ice Rescue Training and another Seal save...

2010-01-18T10:23:00.008-05:00

For the middle of winter, this was an interesting day. It started when Flo Melo, our Assistant Dive Chief, got a call from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center to investigate two more local seal sightings in Manasquan and Brielle, neighboring towns just to the north across the Manasquan River. Throughout our winter, it is very common for seals to come ashore to rest or nap, but this isn't common knowledge. When Flo and Tom went to evaluate the harbor seal on the beach, some bystanders weren't even aware that there were ANY seals in New Jersey. Consulting with the MMSC via cell phone, it was determined that this one was in no distress and required no human assistance other than to be left alone. When we returned later in the afternoon, all that was left was a set of flipper tracks back to the ocean. The second seal, laying on a dock in Brielle, was even a little feisty, vocally letting Flo and Tom know that he did indeed wish to be left alone. We are told that every holding tank in the Stranding Center's Brigantine facility is full right now, so this was good news for everyone!

The Dive Team then conducted an ice rescue drill with the Mantoloking Fire Department. Our Squad provides coverage for Point Pleasant Beach, BayHead, and Mantoloking, so this was a great opportunity to work with other emergency service volunteers who might one day provide us surface support. It was 40 degrees, windy, and rainy, but everyone was ready to drill. Chief Nesley first demonstrated to the firefighters to how to evaluate ice conditions, especially if properly suited divers are not yet available to assist with an ice rescue. The firefighters were then introduced to the drysuits that our divers are outfitted with, and they practiced helping a diver into the suit. We were
especially concerned with proper handling of the suit's zipper and ensuring proper neck seals.

We then went though various shore support and rescue options for the firefighters. Everyone took their turns with throw bags, the safest way to get a line out to someone in ice without risking someone else falling through. We then demonstrated backboard use to remove a victim from an ice hole, and the firefighters got the feel of hauling the board back to shore. We also might call upon the Fire Department to tend line for us. Just like last week's ice diving drill, we practiced tying appropriate knots for a diver's harness. Several of the firefighters also got a feel of our line pull system of communication.

We had a lot of line to clean, but the firefighters were introduced to the equipment we might use and now know what to expect during an ice rescue. We are thankful to know that one day they could have our backs.

.

Ice Rescue Drill ~2010~

2010-01-10T18:47:00.005-05:00

On January 10, 2010, the Point Pleasant Beach First Aid Dive Team got the year's serious training off to a good start with a very productive Ice Rescue drill. The weather has been below freezing for two weeks now, with the nights dipping into the teens, so several of the coves on the Barnegat Bay-side of our coverage area were iced over enough to re-drill on ice surface rescues and ice diving.
.

As always, we started by evaluating the ice conditions. About 4 inches of ice covered the center of the cove, which was stable enough for us to prepare the triangular hole that is standard for ice diver access and egress. All divers were outfitted with harnesses and tethered for their dives. To minimize the chances of tangles, only one or two divers were in at a time, each one with a personal tender, who has as much responsibility for a safe operation as the
diver.

We practiced our line pull system of communication, which is simple but works well, especially with each diver focused strongly on navigation. Under the ice in these coves, many of our natural navigation cues (sun angle, sand ripples, channel contours, established currents) are unreliable. Surrounded by steel bulkheads, our underwater compasses worked in some places and not-so-well in others. Eric gets the award for Best, Long, Straight Line Swim. Tom Trafer, training for the first time with ice, found out quickly how easy it is to get disoriented, and the value of an attentive tender. Fortunately, visibility was 5-10 feet, so we all got a nice underwater tour. We didn't see too much in the way of active marine life, but Sue located numerous snails and worm mounds, and
Chet found a small eel, frozen right up under the ice.

We then drilled on Surface Ice Rescue. What do we do when someone falls through the ice? We practiced crossing the ice while distributing our weights, so that the rescuer does not fall though for as long as possible. We then practiced falling through to ensure that you yourself do not go under. The harder parts were getting yourself back out, and, most importantly, getting a victim back out of the ice. We all practiced using a backboard to remove an unresponsive victim out of the loose ice closer to the bay.
.
Thanks go to one of our Squad's EMTs for keeping an eye out for us, providing hot packs for our hands and chocolate chip cookies too! As much as most of are NOT fans of long cold spells, this provided us with a great opportunity to drill on handling a likely winter rescue scenario.
.

New Years 2010...

2010-01-05T09:27:00.007-05:00

On Jan 1, 2010 we did our annual 1st dive of the year at the Manasquan River Railroad Bridge. The weather was cool but calm with no wind and air temps in the low 40's. Water was a bit cool at 38 degrees but we had 5 feet of vis. The vis doesn't sound like much but after getting blown out for several weeks in a row it was welcomed.
Sue L,. Doug H, Milton R, Joe, S,. Chet N, Tom G, and Tom C all dove. Flo M and Bill C provided shore support. Dive times varied from 20 minutes to 45 minutes for the very hardy. I came out with numb hands after being in the water for about 25 minutes. I managed to find some copper sheathing from some unknown wreck. Chet found a blob top belfast round bottle and a smooth round bottle. Some coke bottles were also found.
We were the only hardy fools there considering we hit the water around 8AM or so. Everyone did have a good time though and we followed it up with a search for some frozen underwater lights on one of the inland shore lakes. Afterwards we had a good lunch at the local squad building.

I have to say that this year was relatively pleasant compared to last year when the wind chill made it minus 18 degrees on Jan 1, 2009. I am hoping for more global warming to kick in for next year.

Hope you had a fun New Year's Eve and Day and will have more to come in 2010.
Tom G

2009-12-25T16:57:00.003-05:00

MMSC is pleased to report that Ilya, the manatee rescued from Linden, NJ and transported to the Miami Seaquarium was released to his ocean home on December 15!

Ilya is released...

2009-12-21T09:45:00.002-05:00

MIAMI, Fla- Ilya the wayward Manatee that was rescued by the Coast Guard in the frigid waters, near New York City, and flown back to Miami for rehabilitation, has been released this morning by his Florida caretakers into the warm waters of Biscayne Bay.The 1,100 lb mammal, who's closest genetic relative is the Elephant, was lifted out of his tank by a mechanical crane, then carried over by Sequarium staff, and freed into the placid settings of his natural habitat"...

Save the Manatee Club has a detailed press release here...

and FoxNews has this coverage of the event...

Thanksgiving 2009 ~Seal~

2009-11-26T21:02:00.001-05:00

The DiveTeam responded to another call of a Seal on the beach and found the above individual catching some rays and avoiding the usual LARGE crowds that inhabit the Jersey Shore during the Summer months...

The Marine Mammal Stranding Center responded and removed the Seal with the help of team members and took the Seal to the center in Brigantine for observation. More info and status to follow...

Mantaloking Beach Damage ~2009~

2009-11-23T00:01:00.001-05:00

Today's walk on the Mantoloking beach. There is no beach access, all the steps to the beach have been washed away. Notice the picture of the Lyman Av entrance, to the Cannon wreck.

Flo

Manatee Rescue media...

2009-11-12T18:53:00.001-05:00

Ilya the manatee has made the NY Mag with photos and text found here....

"He had been in the Harbor for two weeks and the temperature was dipping into the 50s, meaning he might have had just days to live if he didn't stay warm in the ConocoPhillips outflow, where water was 75 degrees. Workers at the plant told U.S. Fish and Wildlife's manatee rescue program when he resurfaced, and they brought in a massive multi-agency rescue that included the Point Pleasant Dive and Rescue Team, who wrestled with the net underwater."
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Nice work team!...

Manatee Rescue...

2009-11-01T22:37:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, October 26, 2009, the Dive Team received a unique request for services, at least in New Jersey. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center, headquartered in Brigantine, NJ, needed dry suit divers to assist in the safe capture of a wayward manatee. This specimen, named Ilya, is suspected to be the same one that has been traveling from Florida up the Eastern seaboard in the summers for almost a decade. However, the local waters have dropped below 60 degrees F, so MMSC feared that he would soon succumb to hypothermia. He had been spotted intermittently the last two weeks around Staten Island and Essex and Hudson Counties.

Last weekend, he moved into a tidal creek by the Conoco Phillips oil refinery in Linden, probably because of a warm water outfall pipe from the facility. We met with the staff of the MMSC, got checked through Security, and were escorted into the refinery property. Conoco Phillips dedicated numerous resources to the efforts for the day, including a staging tent, food, drinks, safety and rescue crews, two boats, and a crane. Everyone involved had a safety briefing and the capture plan was outlined. A representative from Florida Fish & Wildlife and veterinarian from the Miami Seaquarium had traveled up to provide their extensive expertise with manatee capture and subsequent care.

It didn’t take too long to locate Ilya in the creek, as the refinery staff had been feeding him the last few days. Although the creek was warm, there is little in it in the way of acceptable food for a manatee, so he approached us readily to accept lettuce. However, once he was lured down the creek and a long net was deployed by boat in a large circular corral around him, he dove. Two divers were in the creek to keep freeing the net from underwater snags, but the manatee managed to find his way out. He wasn’t so stressed by the experience that he didn’t just go back to eating lettuce between our attempts.

The plan was reevaluated and the decision was made to move the capture site down the creek past another bridge in hopes that a smoother bottom would allow for a better deployment of the net and prevent another escape. Our divers formed a surface line and splashed our way downstream to chase the manatee towards the new net location. The plan worked this time, as we could see him testing the net but not find a way out under the bottom. Under the direction of the experts, we helped draw the net in and “bag it up”, this time with a manatee still in it.

Almost 20 people were needed to haul the animal on shore and restrain it on its stomach (a manatee’s tail slap is incredibly powerful if it can roll onto its back). The veterinarian administered a sedative to enable a safer transfer of the animal onto a stretcher and cargo netting, at which point the crane moved it over to a pad by the staging area for proper medical evaluation. It was then loaded in the MMSC truck, and we followed their staff to the Brigantine facility to assist with one more manual lift of the manatee into a heated rehab pool. After a few slow laps, Ilya went right back to eating lettuce (a healthy manatee normally eats 100 pounds of vegetation every day).

He would stay in the care of the Brigantine facility for two days until he could be flown back to Florida on a Coast Guard C-130. Once there, the Miami Seaquarium will evaluate his health and consider release options.

This successful rescue could not have happened without dozens of volunteers and donated resources. Many thanks go to the MMSC for inviting us to participate in this unique experience.

Dive Team at Jenkinson's Aquarium in Point Pleasant...

2009-10-10T08:51:00.002-04:00

Dive Team at Jenkinson's Aquarium in Point Pleasant...

2009-10-10T08:51:00.000-04:00

2009 Point Pleasant Tube Race...

2009-10-06T09:43:00.002-04:00

On Sunday, Sept. 20 the Dive Team covered the Tube Race. The race is sponsored by the local Lions club, as a fund raising event. The contestants race in inner tubes. Some people never get through the waves, some just get too tired to continue. That is where the Dive Team comes in. We had Rescue 34 set the buoys for the race, and assist any people who can not make it to the end. We had a few assists, but everyone had a good time and there where no injuries. Dave Margintino gets an award for the most patience. He helped the same young boy get in his tube 15 times.

"Maybe we will just head over to the Railroad Bridge"....

2009-10-05T08:56:00.001-04:00

Seal update...

2009-07-03T23:19:00.000-04:00

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The Marine Mammal Stranding Center sent the team an update regarding the seal that was recovered back in April on the beach near Brick and thus was named "Brick".

"Stranded in Brick Township on April 12, this female grey seal was lethargic, breathing heavily and had discharge around her eyes. Our vet Dr. Paluch discovered she was missing teeth and - in place of the missing teeth - a piece of dead bone imbedded in her lower jaw. Removing the piece of bone allowed the infected gums to heal and prevented further tooth loss."

"As one of the most active seals at the center, she enjoyed hauling out and diving back into her pool, all the while producing a low steady hum that could be heard throughout the day."

"With both her mouth and respiratory infection healed, she was released in Rhode Island on June 24, 2009. "Brick" is wearing a satellite tag and can be tracked online at www.mmsc.org."

Deleware Wreck NJ Training Dive...

2009-06-30T21:18:00.002-04:00

On Sunday, June 28, 2009, the Dive Team was invited by Colleague member Bill Cleary, owner of the 46’ vessel Depth Charge, for a two-tank dive for Deep and Boat training. Bill clearly had this vessel designed for diving, so we couldn’t turn down the opportunity. Bill’s experience includes much offshore, deep water (200’+) wreck exploration and salvage operations, so he and Captain Tom ran an incredibly well-organized trip.

We loaded up around 7am, exited Manasquan Inlet, and made the quick trip to the wreck of the Delaware, about 3.5 miles southeast of the Inlet and 1.5 miles off the beach of BayHead. See http://njscuba.net/sites/site_delaware.html for details about the wreck site.

We anchored in close to the engine (which stands about 25 feet up off the bottom), with Bill first tying us in to the propeller shaft. He sent a lift bag to the surface, signaling to us on the boat that the anchor was secured and it was safe to dive. The boat crew set up a granny line to the anchor line to facilitate everyone’s safe descent, due to the strong surface current. Divers were assigned to buddy teams, and each team was assigned to locate the propeller shaft, swim down its length to the actual propeller, and return with a loaded sinker tube. This would then be brought to the surface in a controlled fashion with the aid of a lift bag. Flo & Tom C., Eric & Sue, and Chet & Tom T. (who was on his first deep boat dive) all encountered 2-3 foot surface chop, a mild temperature drop at 35 feet, and 10-15 foot of visibility on the bottom. All assigned tasks were accomplished, plus the unexpected recovery of a 20-lb. Danforth anchor with chain and 100’ of attached line.

Sue’s dive computer decided to freeze during her safety stop, but she had tracked and logged the first dive with a separate bottom timer and depth gauge, and so was able to plan the next one on the Recreational Dive Planner. (Remember when your Instructor said in Open Water that you’d need to be able to find a Missing Surface Interval on the dive tables? Well, we did today.)

The weather topside was in the 80s with a nice breeze, but this made the surface a little lumpy, and although Bill’s burgers smelled awesome, Eric did a little chumming with his. The second dive was a little more turbid and a lot darker. We still all had a nice dive and collected a bit more lead around the engine and boilers. These 6-10 oz. sinkers are popular items at our fundraiser sinker sale in the winter with the very same fishermen who lost them. Along the way, we met up with lots of blackfish, sea bass, ling, and at least one lobster that was poking around. With the initial mystery of the deep out of the way from the first dive, Tom T’s air consumption was much improved on dive #2.

Once back on land, even after we cleaned the boat, and washed and stowed the gear, the day was not over. Due to the fact that we finally had a weekend of nice weather after several rain-outs, the town and boardwalk were mobbed, and, as expected, a string of first calls followed. Dive team members jumped in to assist the First Aid Squad on numerous calls as EMTs, Ambulance Drivers, and First Responders. Welcome to summer in Point Pleasant Beach!

Many thanks go to Bill Cleary for volunteering use of his vessel and to Captain Tom for his expertise and attention to topside management. It was a great training experience for everyone involved.

Jenkinson's Seal Tank Dive...

2009-06-12T11:47:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday, June 7, 2009, the Dive Team was once again invited to Jenkinson’s Aquarium to participate in its celebration of World Oceans Day. The history of this international event can be found at http://www.theoceanproject.org/wod/wod_about.php .
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Throughout the day, visitors to our display viewed marine “biofacts” (a.k.a. seashells) collected from our local waters, recovered artifacts, and videos of some of our underwater adventures and training dives. “SCUBA Steve” was also a popular photo op, suited up in his winter drysuit and full face mask, despite the fact that there wasn’t actually a person inside!
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Our headline presentations, though, were SCUBA diving demonstrations in the harbor seal tank. Three times during the day, a buddy team of our divers were allowed to enter the exhibit and, with the help of a tender, enter gently to show basic diving equipment and skills. The water temp in the tank was almost 70 degrees F (about 20 degrees warmer than anything we’ve been in since last year!), so everyone was quite comfortable to be back in wetsuits. One team member was outside the tank with visitors to explain the equipment, prompt the divers to perform different skills, and answer questions from the audience. The seals, still in THEIR tank during all of this, were a little frisky on occasion, coming right up to touch a diver’s head or swim around the bubble trails.
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Being in an aquarium tank really is a unique experience. Even though it was our divers on exhibit, visitors outside the tank were very happy to pose for pictures and video taken from the inside. How often does an exhibit ask to take YOUR picture?

Alex Mac

2009-05-18T17:47:00.001-04:00

Footage of the Alex Mac wrecksite that the team responded to and assisted in victim removal back on July 2006...

The team did go back to the wreck and took photos as shown here in this post.

The above video footage was taken from You-Tube and not recorded by the team....

"Geese Away" lights...

2009-05-11T12:37:00.002-04:00

The Dive Team installed two more "Geese Away" lights to lakes in the community to keep Geese from nesting in populated areas. This day the team installed two lights at the "Lake of the Lilies" pond in Point Pleasant and in the past they installed three lights in Little Silver Lake...

Divers Paul DeSalvo, Sue Lewicki, and Chief Diver Chet Nesley...

Museum of New Jersey Maritime History

2009-05-03T11:16:00.001-04:00

On a rainy Saturday about a month or so back I had the opportunity to take a ride South to the Museum of New Jersey Maritime History that is located in Beach Haven and found it to be an outstanding research asset for local divers...

The museum is located at Dock Road and West Avenue and maintains an impressive website...

The museum is the works of Deb Whitcraft and Jim Vogel and the result of over 33 years of collecting artifacts and research. The museum also offers an impressive library\research area with an incredible amount of photos, newspaper articles, books, and computer internet stations.

Some artifact restoration is done onsite and we had the opportunity to tour the back areas to see the progress being made on several items...

Well worth the ride and check the website often for events...

Dolphin Recovery Assist ~Marine Mammal Stranding Center~

2009-04-26T22:44:00.002-04:00

The Dive Team was about to conduct a training dive in the Manasquan inlet when they heard a call to the Coast Guard station from a private vessel reporting a dead Bottlenose Dolphin outside of the inlet.

The dive team responded to the reported location with the use of a TowBoat US unit that was donated by the local operator along with a boat captain. The dolphin was located 1/2 mile North of Manasquan Inlet and 1/2 mile offshore. Divers Tom Conroy and Tom Trafer entered the water and strapped the body onto a backboard. Chief Diver Nesley, Flo Melo, and TowBoat US Captain Rick then pulled the 350lb dolphin onto the boat.

The Dolphin was then taken to the Manasquan Coast Guard station where Coast Guard personnel assisted in loading the dolphin for transportation to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, N.J.

MMSC personnel staff believed that the numerous scratches along the body could have been bite marks from other dolphins, but they were mostly superficial and unlikely the cause of death. The stranding center is still very busy but the dive team had the opportunity to visit the two Seals that were recoverd by the Dive Team back on Easter weekend...

Asbury Park Press article here...

"Easter Seals" Rescue Days...

2009-04-21T16:56:00.001-04:00

It's starting to become a annual tradition when it comes to Easter Sunday weekend regarding 'Seal Rescues" along the Jersey shore...

While driving back towards Point Pleasant after a very nice visit to the Museum of New Jersey Maritime History (http://www.museumofnjmh.com/) we were passed by the familiar red pick-up truck from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center head North...

Of course Chet could not let it go with a friendly wave or tip of the hat...

We stopped alongside the MMSC truck at a light in Toms River and found that they were on a call regarding a Seal on the beach in Seaside...

Asbury Park Press has the following story posted here...

Training Day with a "Recovery"...

2009-04-07T08:18:00.001-04:00

Despite the high winds and poor visibility blowing out any SCUBA diving today, the Dive Team still had a busy day! Chief Diver Nesley set us up for a special jetty rescue drill to prepare for the upcoming fishing season. As people have fallen into the many rocks and concrete “jacks” of the Manasquan River Inlet jetty before, we wanted to train our new members on how we might respond to this unusual circumstance for which there is no textbook.

Rather than mannequins, two divers (in exposure suits) hid and wedged themselves into tight spots in the jetty to best simulate how actual human victims can become lodged and incapacitated in the structure. We started our search with divers learning how to maneuver through the rocks and jacks in teams, being mindful of their own safety while sweeping the jetty in a coordinated fashion.

Our first victim was located quickly, but she was stuck in a tight spot. The rescue team got some real world practice in stabilizing and loading a patient onto a Miller Man board under field conditions. The second victim (who took two sweeps to find!) was easier to stabilize, but we only had underwater or very tight egresses, so it took a little extra problem solving to get him out of the rocks. During our debriefing, two of our First Aid Squad’s EMTs also showed us some additional equipment that could be utilized for situations like this.

Everyone had a great experience in thinking our way through a situation with many variables. Although there isn’t a formula to follow for this type of rescue, it was good training in assessment, resources, communication, team work, and problem solving.

BEFORE WE EVEN GOT OUT OF OUR DRYSUITS, the Police Department contacted us with a report of a stranded whale about a mile south on the beach. Several of our members are trained Volunteers for the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, so we responded immediately to the scene. Assistant Chief Melo contacted Bill Deer of the MMSC so he could direct us with what to do with the specimen

The animal washed up on the beach was a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), a little over 5 feet long. We confirmed that it was dead. As per direction from Bill, we transported it off the beach and delivered it to the MMSC facility in Brigantine. Brandi Biehl met us after 10:00 pm to accept the specimen. She identified it as a female and the biggest harbor porpoise she’s ever seen - it weighed in at 163 pounds! (Brandi said that she can normally just sling one over her shoulder or cradle it under one arm.) The MMSC will be sending the specimen out for necropsy to hopefully determine cause of death. There were some superficial skin erosions around the fins and a few postmortem peck marks (possibly from gulls), but the thin line impressions around the porpoise’s neck and other lines down the length of the body were suggestive of netting. We can’t say anything for certain now, but everyone at the Stranding Center is incredibly dedicated. You can see what they’re all about at http://www.marinemammalstrandingcenter.org/index.htm

2009 Team Photo...

2009-02-26T10:05:00.002-05:00

The "Sale of the Sinkers" 2009...

2009-02-26T09:57:00.001-05:00

The Dive Team had it's most successful "sinker" sale ever. $506. of re -cycled lead! Top sales person of the day?? Had to be Sue, and Tom Traffer ( make me a offer Matt). Thanks to our security officers Eric and Dave not one sinker was stolen! Most sinkers recovered, goes to Chet. He has NEVER done a dive without bring back at least 1 sinker.Everyone did a lot of work, diving, cleaning and selling! Thanks for a great fund raising event.

We also had the box for recycling monofilment from the town at our table. Some of you know that we have helped in getting the town to set up recycling centers at the Inlet for fishing line. The box is in the class room, we could have people drop off bags of fishing line, so please do not throw it away.

USCG Ice Rescue Training....

2009-02-16T23:02:00.002-05:00

"Shore Diving" by Tom Gormley

2009-02-04T09:26:00.002-05:00

"Shore Diving” is a new book by diving author, Tom Gormley. It has just been released by Safe Scuba Publishing with a laminated color soft cover and 138 black and white pages, 6 by 9. The book describes shore diving techniques. If you want to learn about shore diving, this is the book for you. Techniques detailed are: preparation, buoyancy, entry, exit, navigation, use of flag anf float, adjusting to environment, buddy system, entanglements, emergencies, shore support, use of lines, avoiding boat conflicts, rescue skills, safety, and teamwork. A long list of activities and how expert shore divers engage them is included.

Ordering Information
To order a copy of "Shore Diving" by Tom Gormley please send a check or money order made out to Tom Gormley to: Tom Gormley, 280 Washington Avenue, Belleville, New Jersey 07109. New Jersey shipping addresses include: $25.68 Non-NJ shipping address include: $24.00 --------------------------------------------
Topics included in the book:
Reasons for shore diving
Environment
Equipment Techniques
Dive planning
Opportunities
Activities Warm and cold water diving
Descriptions, definitions, references, photos, illustrations, and lots more

Link to site....

US Airways 1549 Recovery effort...

2009-01-28T10:30:00.002-05:00

BREAKFAST !!!...

2009-01-08T21:47:00.001-05:00

Don't forget Squad Breakfast scheduled for Sunday 1/11/09 at 9:00 am...

See you all there Sunday
Tom Trafer

New Years Dive ~2009~

2009-01-08T08:58:00.002-05:00

Water temp 41, air temp 19, wind chill -07. We had pretty good vis. 10 feet.

Dive Team members assist The Marine Mammal Stranding

2008-12-21T21:22:00.001-05:00

Today, team members, Flo, Chet, and Tom C. assisted Bill Deer from the MMSC. A call came in to the MMSC that a possible dead Seal was on the beach. Bill asked if we would check it out and help him pick it up.

The seal was found at Brick Beach III, near the surf line. It was a young female Harbor Seal. It looked like she was emaciated and very sick.. Bill thought she may have come on the beach last night, and froze to death. Not all our seal sightings can be rescues.

- Flo

Marine Mammal Stranding Center Info...

Back on 9 April 2007 the Dive Team assisted on the recovery of a Gray Seal that was found stranded near the Manasquan Inlet. See that post here...

Video of release of a seal by the Marine Mammal Stranding Center

2008 Underwater Pumpkin Carving contest...

2008-11-16T10:10:00.001-05:00

The 2008 Underwater Pumpkin Carving contest was held once again at the Railroad bridge in Point Pleasant and was attended by several Dive teams and regulars...

Specimens lined up after the dive and ready to be judged...

First Place winner...

United States Coast Guard... These guys are good!...

2008-11-02T19:50:00.000-05:00

Obstruction Search and Removal...

2008-10-30T09:55:00.002-04:00

The Dive Team took the opportunity of a reported obstruction in a marked channel at a local marina and use it as a training scenario in search and recovery...

Team members responded with Rescue 34 inflatiable and equipment to search the area outside of Jersey Shore Marina off of Route 70 in Brick, N.J.

Several search techniques and patterns were used and after 45 nminutes the obstruction was located and removed. Several boats from the Jersey Shore Marina had reported hitting an object while operating in the channel just outside the marina. Damage to props and hulls were reported by several boat owners at the marina...

Located within the marked channel was a large metal Crab trap that has been hit numerous times. The trap was found partially submerged and it was evident that the object had been hit many times....

The Long Lost Tank...

2008-10-19T09:07:00.004-04:00

While operating 20 miles offshore the fishing vessel “Muros” pulled up this scuba tank in one of its nets and brought it back to their dock. Members of the Muros turned the tank over to team member Tom Hurst who is owner\operator of Towboat U.S. and has been involved in prior operations of the team.

Tom retrieved the tank and contacted Team Captain Chet Nesley who went to work identifying the tank and locate the original owner. Nesley posted messages on numerous ‘Scuba” related message boards as well as searching VIP records.

Nesley was contacted by Rick Maxwell who recalled that one of his instructors had lost a tank overboard during rough seas while on a dive at the Stolt Dagali wreck site. The dive was conducted from the dive boat Venture 3... Nesley then emailed a photo of the lost tank to Maxwell who passed it on to Ronnie who was the instructor and possible owner of the lost tank. Ronnie immediately emailed back that the lost tank was in fact the tank that she lost during the Stolt Dagali dive…

Remember this guy?...

2008-09-29T22:45:00.000-04:00

Surface Rescue Training ~Westfield Police Department~

2008-09-10T08:26:00.001-04:00

Classroom instruction and skill practice with members of the Westfield Police Department...

Sherando Lake VA. Incident...

2008-07-14T19:50:00.001-04:00

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This week at a local lake in the Sherando Virginia State Park there was a 20 year old male who drowned while swimming in the lake. It appears the victim was away from the shore a good distance and people heard a scream but lost sight of the victim right away.

It was reported here in the local newspaper and several people submitted comments and some were about how the Park staff should have used the swimmers in the water to search for the victim and that ALL of the park staff should have been trained in water rescue... I submitted my comments to explain the options available to the staff...

I have seen these drownings 2 to 3 times over the past 7 years and unfortunately the nearest Dive\water rescue team is 30-40 minutes away...

Shore Diver Class Charity Event...

2008-06-15T17:14:00.001-04:00

To first aid and student divers,

On Saturday, June 14, 2008, students taking the Shore Diver Class run as a charity event for the Pt Pleasant First Aid Squad Dive Team dove the Manasquan Inlet. The dive was a high tide early evening dive. Just before high slack there was a thunder and lightening storm which delayed the entry a bit. Undaunted, the divers and dive leaders got into the water just around high tide. Conditions were very good. Visibility was around 8 feet, water temp was 56 and boats and fishermen were low to moderate likely due to the storm. Student divers Luis, Alison, Kim, Alan, and Dave teamed up with dive leaders Eric, Tom C, Tom G, Chet and Flo so each student had a personal guide on their adventure dive. Divers spent around 45 minutes underwater and got to see numerous fish and marine life creatures. They plan to dive next Sunday to continue their training.

Besides a comprehensive pre dive training lecture delivered by Flo, Chet, and Tom, everyone was treated to a barbecue hosted by Flo and Norva, with food donated by 1877SCUBAUSA. After the dive everyone returned to the squad for gear cleaning followed by cake for dessert.

Tom Gormley, Pt Pleasant Dive Team http://www.pointbeachems.org/

Throw it Back, Throw it Back!!!

Support of the Pt. Pleasant First Aid Squad Dive Team

2008-06-15T11:55:00.002-04:00

Phil Ventura,
1-877- Scuba USA
June 15, 2008

On behalf of the entire Pt Pleasant First Aid Squad Dive Team I want to thank you for your donation of $100 towards the Charity Shore Dive Class by the Pt Pleasant First Aid Squad Dive Team. The team serves a 24/7 year round multipurpose function for the Ocean County area. They do immediate rescues for any water related situation, recovery of missing victims and articles, search and recovery of crime evidence, community service to promote ocean and water environmental awareness, and promote and supervise safe diving in the Ocean County area. It is a volunteer organization manned by members of the First Aid Squad who are also trained rescue divers. Team members train and dive on a continuing basis, and are mainly avid civilian divers adapted to contribute to a civic need.

Your representatives Abe and Milton enjoyed the class and observed the preparation for the first dive made by the shore class students. They were invited back to dive at the next dive which will be next Sunday.

Thanks again for your contribution.

Tom Gormley, Dive Team Member
Chet Nesley, Dive Team Chief
Flo Melo, Dive Team Member

Manasquan Inlet June 2008...

2008-06-12T09:46:00.001-04:00

The Dive Team conducted a routine practice\training dive this weekend at the Manasquan Inlet and the above item was discovered and retrieved by Team Member Tom Sweezy.

It was found at the mouth of the Inlet near the South end jetty and was probably uncovered by the recent dredging of the inlet. Item was found on top of mussel beds and prior day had a strong outgoing tidal flow so object has moved along the inlet since dredging.

Object stands about 3-1\4" and is 2-1\4" diameter at top and bottom...

It is made up by three seperate compartments that are water tight and secured by fine threads and all brass construction. Initial thought was that this was used to store some type of powder, snuff, tobacco, or the likes. I have passed the photos onto several members of the local Bottle collecting club here and they are looking into the identification of it...

Three individual compartments of different sizes. Top compartment 1-1\4", middle 7\8", and smallest compartment at 1\2"...

Located on the bottom of the object is the name "J.W. Forestal" with the date 1876 and "April"... It was noted that it is common practice in military service to have the persons name on all personal items. By including the month "April" to the inscription this may be a service award item and shows the date of end of service. This same practice aided in the identification of the German Submarine U-869 a few years back when a personal item knife was found with a crewmembers name engraved...

Tom Sweezy

Jenkinson's Aquaruim Seal Tank Dive...

2008-06-10T13:29:00.001-04:00

The Point Pleasant Beach Dive Rescue Team was invited back to Jenkinson's Aquarium to dive with the resident Seals in their tank and provide information and entertainment for the aquariums patrons.

Upon arrival to the Aquarium the Dive team responded to a first aid call involving a motor vehicle and person riding a bike...

As in the past the Dive team provided information and samples of items found in the ocean and inlets just miles away from the aquarium...

Feeding time for the Seals...

Drive briefing before going into the seal tank...

Dive team members Doug and Eric gear up before entering the Seal Tank...

Dive team member Doug prefers the "Face-first" approach when entering a unknown environment...

Once in the tank and ready for the program Team members Eric and Doug are approached by one of the resident Seals...

Information on Jenkinson's Aquarium can be found here along with a link to their Penquin Webcam here...

Jenkenson's Aquarium Seal Tank Dive...

2008-04-20T17:21:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, April 19, 2008, the dive team went to Jenkenson's Aquarium in Pt Pleasant to do a table display and dive as part of the Earth Day Celebration. Earth Day is on Tuesday this year, but Saturday brings out the best crowds. The purpose of today's program was to explain to aquarium visitors about local underwater environment and diving. Chet, Flo, Sue, Doug, and Tom G were there to do the program and to dive in the seal tank. Jenkenson's asked the team to put on the program for the past several years, and the seal dive has been added for everyone's pleasure including the seals and the team. Visitors apparently loved the show, the divers loved doing it, and the seals have been adapting and apparently enjoy the divers coming into their pool. The aquarium staff was at first a bit worried that the divers would interfere with the seals adapting to humans. It appears that the seals have adapted well.

The dive part of the program is for two divers to enter the pool by way of a controlled seated entry so the seals are protected. The divers then put on a choreographed show of skills for the aquarium visitors. One member of the team is outside the tank and with hand signals directs one of the divers to perform simple skills like mask clear and such. The other diver video records the scene of the diver, the audience, and the seals. An unexpected part of the show occurred when the camera stopped recording and Chet had to instruct Tom how to turn it back on from outside the tank. The viewing audience got to see first hand how diver communication can be a problem since voice cues don't go through the glass and into the tank. It was an unplanned but funny part of the show. Everyone enjoyed it.

The seals have been carefully approaching the divers and kissing their heads. Chet was accused of flirting with a seal. When seals contact the diver's neoprene hood, it is a very light touch. The dive buddy watching gets a better view of the seal activity. Divers wear wet suits, hoods, gloves. and booties in the 60 degree water. The dives have lasted about 20 minutes. Sue and Chet dove in the morning and Tom and Flo dove in the afternoon.

The table display included a diver replica including all of the dive gear. Found bottles and shells were displayed as well as photos of the First Aid Squad and dive team. Team members took the time to explain as much as visitors wanted to learn about local diving and the purpose of the squad and team. Lots of children as well as adults enjoyed the show and display. The team accomplished the educational part of it's list of goals with today's Earth Day Program at Jenkenson's Aquarium. Ocean Conservation Day is in June and the team plans to return for another program on June 7.

Report from Tom Gormley

Pt. Pleasant Dive Team Member...

10 February 2008 Dive Report ~Tom Gormley~

2008-02-21T19:54:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, February 10, 2008 the Pt Pleasant Dive Rescue Team when on a diving drill in spite of the weather forecast, which called for an arctic blast, snow, and gale force winds. Here is the dive report.

Chet N, Tom C, Eric, and Doug from the team along with invited visitor divers Tom G and Mike D went for a dive at the Manasquan Inlet on a nice sunny day in February. The air temp was in the low 40's and there was a 20 to 25 knot west wind. We checked the vis in the inlet before diving and it looked good. Even with the wind driven waves we could see the bottom. The wind was actually pushing 1 to 2 foot waves out of the inlet on an incoming tide. We all decided to dive, so we formed 3 buddy teams and got our gear ready. Chet provided the team and visitors with a dive briefing. We rolled over the wall into the inlet to look for sinkers to be cleaned and possibly sold at the upcoming Ocean Wreck Diver's Fisherman's Flea Market. The team had been accumulating sinkers and lures on several previous drill dives and this might be the final opportunity for this task. The marine life was long gone.

Mike D and Tom G met up with Chet and Eric and Chet advised everyone about the skill for sinker hunting by fanning the sand, which everyone did. Team members had special plastic tubes and lift bags for storing the sinkers and transporting them to the exit point. Tom G and Mike D were picking up a sinker here and there when suddenly a coin was found. It was a well roughened up copper penny. It went into Tom's goody bag. Any coin found underwater is considered a treasure, even a penny. Chet, Doug, Eric, and Tom C were busy stuffing their tubes with sinkers and lures. Tom G found a few more sinkers, and another penny, then a nickel. Seven cents found underwater is a good day!

Suddenly Tom spotted something very different. It was a round hollow shiny object the size of a bottle cap. Only it wasn't a bottle cap. It turned out to be a ring. Wow! Underwater it looked enormous! With heavy mitts on he couldn't try it on for size so it was clipped onto the camera dog clip and made secure. Chet's fanning tip worked very well. Back to the sinker scavenging, everyone was doing well too. After about 35 minutes some of us were getting cold so Tom, Mike and Tom started heading back. It was a long swim especially with lots of sinkers in the goody bag. The water temp was 41 degrees and the vis turned out to be 25 feet. Tom, Mike and Tom did 41 minutes, and some hardy others did over an hour.

Hauling the sinker filled plastic tubes over the rocks and back to the rescue truck is certainly good exercise. After everyone else was safely back on shore, Tom G showed everyone the prize find and got congratulated. The rest of the story goes like this. The dive team got the sinkers, Tom's wife got the ring, and Tom kept the 7 cents. Tom's wife was so happy, she bought coffee for everyone since Tom's 7 cents couldn't cover the bill. Still not a bad day for winter diving in New Jersey.

As far as the weather is concerned, as soon as we got back on dry land, we could see a wall of dark clouds coming rapidly towards us. It looked like sharks teeth in the sky. As soon as it got to us it started to blow and snow. We had gone from clear decent weather to a wicked snowstorm in the time it takes to do a Jersey dive in February.

All in all, we were happy we dove today and didn't listen to the weather man. Especially me.
Safe and fun diving!
Tom Gormley

January 2008...

2008-01-18T20:19:00.001-05:00

Had the opportunity to drive up to NJ to dive with Team members Chet Nesley and Sue Lewicki after checking the water at the Highlands bridge.

Unfortunately water vis was typical N.J. quality and outgoing tide was a bit murky for this time of year. Decided to continue up to Sandy Hook to check water calrity there...

The interesting thing about diving with a marine biologist is that there is always something interesting to find on the shoreline.

Based on your photographic evidence, the specimen can only be a bufflehead. Females and immature winter males look similar, so I can’t for sure identify the sex, but I am certain now of the species. As well, it would not be unusual for that group of birds to be wintering in a New Jersey bay, so we’re OK on the seasonal range too.
Thanks again,
Sue

Stopped in Asbury Park to find the water still pretty bad at the jetties... Ended up doing a incoming drift dive at Shark River Inlet with great visibility and well worth the ride...

M\S Explorer...

2007-11-27T10:24:00.001-05:00

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Many reports in the media last week about the M\S Explorer that went down after striking a submerged iceberg off Antarctica. Reports indicated that the damage to the hull produced a hole “the size of a fist” which sounds like the damage should have been controllable. As we all know the media tends to rush to press with whatever info they have without proper follow-up or a reading public that knows better. Photos of the damaged and sinking Explorer shows apparent damage to the hull and it appears that the hole is possibly the size of a fist but runs the length of about 40% of the ship.

Have not been able to find any follow-up stories or info on the damage but I am sure that reports will follow with time. Enviro-cruises have become popular in this area as well as Alaska in somewhat harsh conditions.

Suspecting that the Explorer settled on the bottom on it’s Starboard side, the damage to the hull should be very visible and a great wreck dive. As with any new wreck, plans are in the works for a road trip but problems have developed with locating established 7-Eleven stores along the route to provide the needed sustainable supplies… COFFEE !!!

2007 Underwater Pumpkin Contest...

2007-10-28T21:16:00.001-04:00

Today we hosted our 10th annual Underwater Pumpkin Carving contest. This is to promote NJ Diving ,and to meet new divers. The wind was blowing and the water temp has dropped to 57 degrees but everyone had fun.
Happy Halloween
Flo

Members of the Point Pleasant Rescue Dive Team

Victims of the above mentioned Carving crew...

2007