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Dunellen man drowns in Belmar
Home News Tribune Online 08/1/06
By ERIK LARSEN
GANNETT NEW JERSEY
A 23-year-old man from Dunellen drowned off the 10th Avenue beachfront in Belmar Saturday evening.

The victim was identified as Israel Martinez, a Mexican national.

Belmar Police Chief Jack Hill said the 911 call came at 6:57 p.m. Saturday from the 10th Avenue beachfront.

"Evidently, this fellow was swimming with a group of his friends," Hill said. "He did not know how to swim and he was intoxicated. His friends saw him waving his arms and then he went underwater and they did not see him resurface.

"But, unfortunately, he and his friends just speak Spanish, so there was somewhat of a time delay in calling, in getting someone to call 911."

Bill Karatz, lifeguard supervisor in Belmar, said Martinez was knocked off his feet by a small wave and possibly might have ingested enough seawater to become incapacitated.

At five feet, six inches, Martinez ended up drowning in five feet of water, Karatz said. Yesterday, a Good Samaritan from Queens lost his life off the First Avenue beach in Asbury Park after attempting to save the life of a 13-year-old city boy who became caught in a rip current after the lifeguards went off duty.

The teen managed to get back to shore without the man's help, but the Good Samaritan himself became stuck in the same rip current as the boy and went under. His body later resurfaced off that street's jetty, a city fire department spokesman said.

This was the second drowning off a Monmouth County beach in three days, both happened after business hours when those who can't necessarily afford the cost of the beach badges venture out onto the oceanfront to cool off from the stifling heat.