Team saves rafters pulled out to sea

Two men adrift in the ocean a mile north of Brick Beach I during a thunderstorm were rescued by the Brick Township Underwater Recovery Team July 28, an official said.

Brian Gartner and Steve Pezzi, both 20, were on a raft that capsized when a fast-moving thunderstorm rolled in at about 4:30 p.m. and pulled the two men about a mile and a half offshore, the recovery team's dive captain, Jim Hajeski, said Monday.

The team is a specialized unit consisting of firefighters from Fire District No. 1, where Hajeski is a fire commissioner.

Rain, thunder, lightning and a strong west wind made the rescue particularly hazardous for the divers and the victims, Hajeski said.

"Being on the open water on a raft or jet ski isn't the best place to be during a thunderstorm," he said.

When rescuers arrived on the scene, the two men could periodically be seen offshore. Rescuers mounted two jet skis and located the raft first and then the victims.

The two men were put on the jet skis and brought to safety on the beach, where Brick lifeguards were ready to assist with aid, Hajeski said.

The two men were treated on the beach and released, but were more shaken by the incident than anything else, Hajeski said.

The Ocean Beach Fire Company also assisted the Brick Underwater Recovery Team in the rescue. The U.S. Coast Guard also responded to the incident.

- Danielle Medina