Individual Pulled From Bay By Good Samaritans In Near Drowning

OCEAN CITY — Ocean City first-responders are on the scene of a near-drowning in the bay at 14th Street and the unidentified victim has been transported to Atlantic General Hospital.

Around 10:50 a.m. on Thursday, a call came in to Ocean City Communications about an unidentified victim floating in the bay near 14th Street. Good Samaritans nearby pulled the victim out of the water and the victim was breathing when Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officers arrived on the scene.

The victim has been transported to AGH by Ocean City EMS and the identity and condition of the victim is not known at this time. OCPD officers are still on the scene. More updates will be provide as they become available.

OCPD officials have confirmed the near-drowning is not related to an incident on Wednesday evening when two individuals jumped into the bay from the Route 90 bridge. In that incident, around 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Ocean City Communications received a call that two male individuals had just jumped into the bay from the easternmost side of the Route 90 bridge closest to the resort. The Ocean City Fire Department fire boat and rescue swimmers, the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) and Coast Guard responded to the area initially and began a search effort to no avail.

The Maryland State Police Trooper 4 helicopter was then called to assist in the search and circled the area for about an hour, but combined search efforts were negative. According to Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) public affairs specialist Lindsay Richard, the bay waters were calm and clear on Wednesday evening and the assumption is the jumpers were likely picked up by another vessel prior to the arrival of first responders.

About The Author: Shawn Soper

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Shawn Soper has been with The Dispatch since 2000. He began as a staff writer covering various local government beats and general stories. His current positions include managing editor and sports editor. Growing up in Baltimore before moving to Ocean City full time three decades ago, Soper graduated from Loch Raven High School in 1981 and from Towson University in 1985 with degrees in mass communications with a journalism concentration and history.