Berkeley Firefighters Lauded For Saving Woman And Her Dog

BAYVILLE, NJ - The woman couldn't have held onto the bulkhead in the frigid waters of the lagoon by her Drake Drive home much longer. Already hypothermic, she was fading fast.

Fortunately, Bayville Fire Chief Ken Anderson and Lieutenant Brian Scott of the Pinewald Pioneer Fire Company were there to save her.

They both left their homes at shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 8 to respond to a report of a swimmer in distress. When they arrived at the Drake Drive home, they found the woman holding her dog, barely able to cling to the bulkhead, according to the Bayville Fire Company's Facebook page.

The woman was almost submerged in the water and told them "she could not hold on any longer,"the post states.

The two men realized she was severely hypothermic and just seconds from succumbing to the cold water.

So both men climbed over the bulkhead and entered into the water. Scott pushed the dog up on land and Anderson pulled the woman partially up on the bulkhead. Then they helped both the woman and dog into the house, the post states.

"If it were not for the quick response and actions of Chief Ken Anderson and Lieutenant Brian Scott, the victim would have succumbed to the effects of hypothermia and would have drowned in the frigid water," according to the post.

Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. presented both men with lifesaving awards at the April 24 Township Council meeting.

Photos: Courtesy of Bayville Volunteer Fire Company