Ocean City Swimmer Found
Missing Ocean City swimmer recovered in Sea Isle City after month-long search
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Key Points
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The recovered swimmer was a 20-year-old from Exton, Pennsylvania, who was home from college at the time of his disappearance.
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There are conflicting reports about how far he was from shore when he disappeared: some outlets say about 200 yards, while CBS News reports about 200 feet.
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The body was recovered after more than five weeks, with authorities indicating the active search had shifted from rescue to recovery.
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Disappearance occurred while boogie boarding with a group near the 10th Street area by the Ocean City boardwalk, placing the incident in a well-traveled swimming area.
The body of a 20-year-old Exton, Pennsylvania man — a Hofstra University student home for the summer — was found near 72nd Street in Sea Isle City, New Jersey on June 19, more than five weeks after he vanished while boogie boarding in Ocean City. Fox 29 and Daily Voice confirmed the recovery, ending a search that had covered 500 square miles of Atlantic Ocean.
The man disappeared on May 18 after a large wave knocked him off his board near 10th Street, close to the Ocean City boardwalk. A companion was pulled from the water and told rescuers the victim never resurfaced. Officials are urging swimmers to only enter the water when lifeguards are on duty.
Coast Guard Searched 500 Square Miles Before Shifting to Recovery
The U.S. Coast Guard launched a massive search within hours of the May 18 disappearance. Air and sea assets scoured a 500-square-mile area in the first 20 hours, according to Fox 29. A second swimmer in the same group was rescued that day and told rescuers what happened.
By May 21, just three days after the disappearance, Ocean City officials shifted the mission from rescue to recovery, Daily Voice reported. The change reflected grim survival odds given May's cold Atlantic water temperatures. The body was ultimately found about 15 miles south of where the swimmer went missing — consistent with New Jersey's north-to-south longshore current.
Boogie Boarding Before Lifeguard Season Created Deadly Gap
The swimmer disappeared on May 18 — before Ocean City Beach Patrol's full-season coverage began. That coverage typically starts Memorial Day weekend. On the day he went missing, no lifeguards were on regular duty near 10th Street, according to Audacy.
Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian had warned residents about exactly this kind of risk. "The ocean can be dangerous at times," Gillian said, adding that "risks can exist below the surface" even when the water looks calm. Officials are now pushing harder for swimmers to use guarded beaches only.
How Far Offshore? Reports Conflict on a Key Detail
There is a notable gap in the reporting about how far the swimmer was from shore. Daily Voice cited U.S. Coast Guard figures placing the swimmers about 200 yards — roughly 600 feet — offshore. CBS News Philadelphia, citing the victim's father directly, reported the distance as about 200 feet. The 400-foot difference matters for understanding how quickly conditions became fatal.
At 200 yards out, a swimmer would be well past the breaking waves and into open-water currents — a much more dangerous position. The family has asked for privacy and has not released further details. NBC Philadelphia confirmed that Lt. Dan Lancaster of the Ocean City Police Department conveyed that request publicly on June 23.
Lake Michigan Drowning Underlines Wider Danger at Regional Beaches
The Ocean City recovery is not an isolated case. On June 22, a juvenile swimmer went missing near the Michigan City Lighthouse Pier in Lake Michigan. Waves reached 4 to 6 feet. Three rescue divers were hospitalized during the search, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources is leading the ongoing recovery effort as weather allows.
Safety expert Dave Benjamin of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project warned that pier-side swimming is especially deadly. Structures like piers create what he called "permanent rip currents" that can pull even strong swimmers under in seconds. Authorities in both New Jersey and Indiana are now calling for stronger barriers and better signage at high-risk swim areas.
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