Abandoned Boat in North Wildwood Sparks Multi-Agency Search

In a tense situation that unfolded in North Wildwood, an abandoned boat was discovered washed up on the shore near Beach Access 3, located at 1st/Surf Avenue.

The North Wildwood Police Department was alerted and quickly launched a search operation, leading to a multi-agency investigation.

Upon arrival, officers could not locate the boat’s owner or any occupants, which prompted concerns about potential missing persons.

The Cape May County Prosecutors Office, New Jersey State Police, United States Coast Guard, North Wildwood Fire Department, Wildwood Crest Police Department’s drone unit, and North Wildwood Beach Patrol all participated in the extensive search efforts.

A key component of the operation was an aerial search conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard. From 12:53 PM to 2:50 PM, a Coast Guard helicopter flew a search pattern over the waters off North Wildwood, attempting to locate any possible victims associated with the abandoned vessel.

Also See: This Weekend in the Wildwoods: September 6th – 8th

Meanwhile, authorities worked on identifying the boat’s owner and determining if anyone had been aboard at the time it was washed ashore.

Thankfully, after hours of investigation, the boat’s owner was located and confirmed safe, bringing the incident to a positive resolution.

No injuries or casualties were reported, and the public was reassured that there were no missing persons.

In a statement, the North Wildwood Police Department expressed its gratitude to all the agencies involved in the successful operation.

At the time of writing, the boat was getting ready to be towed off the beach.

Our friend Dan Robinson quickly got his drone up to grab some shots of the boat after it was pulled from the water. (the drone shots in this article are provided by him)

Thank you to our first responders and the Coast Guard for keeping us safe.