Police find man who went missing near Forge Pond in Brick
Christopher Therien is accused of stealing a kayak and paddling away from police officers.
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A search for a missing person in Ocean County ended Monday afternoon after hours of searching by land, air and water. The situation left a lot of residents asking what was going on.
Brick police said they located the missing man, identified as Chris Therien, after a 12-hour search around Forge Pond Park.
This all began around 3 a.m. When authorities say patrols found Therien sleeping in the park, which is against local rules. Police say he suddenly ran toward the pond and jumped in, swimming across the water, then taking a neighbor’s kayak from a backyard and paddling toward a wooded area. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, search and rescue teams utilizing local, county and state resources continued to look for Therien from the ground, water and air.
The park was closed to the public during the search efforts.
“I was kayaking, and they said there was police activity and I couldn't kayak, and the cops came over and told us we had to go,” says Bonnie Spadafora, of Howell.
Police say Therien had previously been on the National Database of Missing and Endangered Persons but that he was never a threat to the public. A social media update posted by Brick police alerted the readers he had been located by 3 p.m.
Brick Police Chief David Forrester says he wants to thank the multiple agencies on all levels for their quick work in helping with the search efforts, including Brick Office of Emergency Management, Brick EMS and the Breton Woods & Pioneer Hose Dive Rescue Team, along with the Ocean County Sheriff's Department and the New Jersey State Police.
