Woman medevaced out of Beach Haven after losing consciousness in the ocean

Photo via BHBP
The Beach Haven Beach Patrol
rescued the woman from the surf.

A 50-year-old female swimming in the ocean in Beach Haven Sunday afternoon had to be medevaced to the hospital after she was knocked down by a wave while waving to family members on the shore. The woman was pulled from the surf by lifeguards at the Centre Street beach just after 2 p.m.

“She actually lost consciousness in the water, she hit her head so hard,” said Beach Haven Police Sgt. Tom Medel. “She must have banged her head underwater and jammed her neck pretty good.”

Medel said he was told the woman had no feeling in her extremities when she was rescued from the water but began to regain sensation by the time she was transported to Walsh Field by the Beach Haven First Aid Squad. She was flown out to the Trauma Center at the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City. The Beach Haven Volunteer Fire Co. responded to the field to set up the landing zone.

The Beach Haven Beach Patrol responded to three other water-related incidents on Sunday due to a bad shore break.

“Two kids were picked up by the waves and bounced pretty good, and another kid got scratched up a little bit, but other than that he was OK,” said Medel, who noted an offshore storm had made the water a bit choppier that day.

Medel stressed that swimmers need to pay attention to the waves since the surf conditions have changed since recent beach replenishment.

“Thankfully we have great lifeguards. Most of our lifeguards are EMTs, so that helps tremendously,” he stated. “I really can’t say enough about them. They do a fantastic job.”

Medel said Mike Lawrence, BHBP chief, makes sure the lifeguards maintain their proficiency through a daily training regimen that includes a 45-minute to an hour workout in the morning, including running and swimming on the beach, as well as intermittent skill evaluations.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.