People are Idiots!

Last night while I was watching a movie, my son told me the side of our house was closed and full of emergency vehicles. My back yard has fresh water, but across the street it is salt water from the bay. The area across from us is a National Wildlife Reserve and is about 2 miles square at most.

Once the neighbors gathered, we realized what was going on, we tried to tell the fire department that we could walk to the sight without getting wet, but they insisted they knew what they were doing and called out the Coast Guard and other rescue units.

Below is the story from the local paper.







While A Lacey man used the light of his cell phone to help police rescue him Friday after he was stuck in the marsh, police said.

The man, 22-year-old Jason Drackwicz of Ashwood Place in Forked River, was able to utilize the light on his cell phone to alert police.

At 9:24 p.m., the Lacey Township Police Department received a 911 call from a resident of Preble Drive in Forked River saying they heard someone in the water yelling for help, police said.

Officers responded to search the area of Stouts Creek, and within approximately 30 minutes after arriving to the area, Officer Michael Verwey located the individual.

At that time, it was verified that the subject was not submerged in the water but was actually physically stuck in the marsh and unable to get himself out. At that point, the man indicated that he had a leg injury and could not move, police said.

It was later discovered that the injury was an existing injury, and the man needed assistance to walk, police said.

Additional emergency services were requested which included the Lacey Township Underwater Rescue & Recovery (URR) Team, Lanoka Harbor Fire Department, Lanoka Harbor First Aid Squad, United States Coast Guard Search and Rescue vessel, and the NJSP Aviation Hoist Unit.

Drackwicz was found in an area of wet marsh on the north side of the South Branch of Stouts Creek.

According to police:

Androcy responded to Bayside East Parkway which is a short distance west from the specific location. Based on the location description provided by Verwey, Androcy entered the wooded area along the northeast portion of Bayside East Parkway and walked approximately three quarters of a mile until he found Drackwicz.

Androcy found Drackwicz to be wet and cold with his legs stuck in the marsh. He was otherwise not physically injured from the incident. With Androcy’s assistance, Drackwicz was able to make his way close enough to the water way of Stouts Creek where the Lacey Township Underwater Rescue & Recovery (URR) boat met them for extraction.

Officer Androcy and the members of the Underwater Rescue & Recovery team were able to assist Jason Drackwicz into the boat.

The NJSP aviation unit helicopter was preparing to respond with a hoist crew that assembled in Berkley Township, but their services were cancelled once Drackwicz and Sndrocy were safe and aboard the rescue boat. Jason was examined by members of the Lanoka Harbor First Squad and was found to not be in need of emergency medical transport.

Drackwicz had apparently entered the wooded area behind the 7-11 convenience store located at 403 Route 9 North in Lanoka Harbor while it was still daylight. He walked deeper into the woods and eventually realized that he was lost as he continued to walk east.

Once darkness set in, he was unable to see and ultimately became stuck in the wet marsh mud. During the time period that Androcy was heading to Drackwicz’s location, Drackwicz’s girlfriend arrived on Bayside East Parkway looking for him.

She met with a firefighter along the roadway and was escorted to Richmond Drive. She said that Drackwicz had called her earlier from his cell phone and told her that he was lost after walking in the woods just before his cell phone signal was lost, police said. I was watching a movie last night, my son asked why was the side of our house blocked off and loaded with emergency vehicles. Bayside Parkway east is the road alongside my house.

Would have been more funny if you would have just made your way around there and had the guy out of the mud before the boat showed up!

They did up getting the guy out of the mud before the boat showed up but they didn't realize they were on a peninsula and not a small island like they thought. I got board quick and went back into the house after they wouldn't listen to a neighbor that tried to explain the geography to them.

This is the trickle down government knows better mentality than any citizen, its contagious and now an epidemic.

The sad part is half the population now thinks it's the governments job to take care of all their needs!

That's awfully crappy pre planning on part of the fd officers and members. I know just about all the challenges I would face for different types of incidents in differnt areas of my district. Not even an officer or fully qualified pump/truck operator.