Search continues for missing boogie boarder off Ocean City, New Jersey
May 18, 2026
A 20-year-old man who was last seen in the water with a boogie board off the coast of Ocean City is missing, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Monday, May 18.
The Coast Guard was called to a water rescue at around 5:05 p.m. and they successfully pulled one person out of the water, officials said. The
person rescued is alive and speaking with officials.
The recovered swimmer said that he saw the 20-year-old lose his footing on the boogie board, but he did not resurface, officials said.
The man was also believed to have been around 200 yards from shore at the time he went missing, officials said.
Although lifeguards are not at Jersey Shore beaches until Memorial Day, people were hitting the beach early due to the record hot temperatures on Monday.
However, the beach in Ocean City was closed and blocked off as of 11 p.m.
SlyForce10 was over the scene to find a search ongoing in the ocean along with first responders on the beach.
As of about 11 a.m. on Tuesday, a search for the missing man was still ongoing.
Note: This story has been updated with new information from the Ocean City Police Department.
This is a developing story; check back for more details.
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