NEED TO KNOW
- Ten passengers taking sailing lessons were rescued when their sailboat collided with a jetty in Avalon, N.J., on Wednesday, July 23
- The boat’s motor died before it crashed into the jetty around 11 a.m. local time, per Avalon Beach Patrol
- All 10 passengers remained unharmed
Ten people were rescued after a sailboat crashed into a jetty in Avalon, N.J., on Wednesday, July 23.
The boat’s motor died, causing the sailboat to crash into the 8th Street jetty around 11 a.m. local time, Avalon Beach Patrol confirmed to CBS Philadelphia. All passengers were taking sailing lessons through The Avalon Yacht Club at the time of the incident, local outlet PHL 17 reported.
PEOPLE has reached out to Avalon Beach Patrol for comment.
Bystander Kyle Gavetti told CBS Philadelphia that he began “hearing people screaming” to his left and looked over.
“They’re waving their arms trying to get the attention of the bigger boats,” Gavetti continued. “And in the video, you see one of the boats come over and they throw a line out and they start towing them away from the rocks and towards safer water.”
“The waves are pushing them into rocks, the blue boat’s gone and they’re disconnected from the blue boat, and they’re just getting hit by the rocks, hit by the rocks, hit by the rocks,” he concluded.
Avalon Beach Patrol rescued the passengers, and they were taken back to Avalon Yacht Club.
Avalon Beach Patrol Chief Matt Wolf said the 30-foot sailboat was powered by a motor that failed in already rough waters.
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“When I saw that mass banging up against the rocks, I knew it was gonna be a bad situation,” Wolf told CBS Philadelphia.
“I’ve been working 28 years. I’ve never seen one quite like this,” Wolf continued. “We’ve had vessels sink in that inlet before. We tell the guards that that’s one of the most dangerous bodies of water on the East Coast, and so we keep eyes on it.”
Nearby lifeguards and beachgoers also dove in to rescue the boat’s passengers, and no one was harmed.
“The guards, they were the true magic in this situation … They always do a great job,” Wolf told CBS Philadelphia. “But this was, like I said, I would consider this above and beyond.”
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