A man who says that he was adrift at sea for two days on a sailboat has washed ashore at Island Beach State Park.
Witnesses say that the man arrived at the shore Tuesday morning near Area 5. John Baer and Marsha Killian were two of only a few people relaxing on the beach when they saw the sailboat about two miles offshore.
“He was making his way in, directly for the shore,” says Baer. “When he came onshore it was pretty obvious he was in trouble. The boat was kind of battered."
Other witnesses said that it was strange to see the boat coming so close to the beach.
"And then we saw him actually kind of get washed up on shore,” says Matt Gonzalez.
Lifeguards and police officers quickly showed up to help the boater and remove the sailboat from the beach. Police say that the man was nearly incoherent and did not have any identification. He said that he set sail from Long Island over the weekend.
News 12 New Jersey was able to see the 12-feet long sailboat. It was mostly intact but was not in good condition. Parts of the boat were covered in duct tape or decaying. Empty potato chip bags and soda bottles were found inside the boat.
Beachgoers say that the man looked weak and disheveled. He was taken to Community Hospital in Toms River for evaluation.