OCEAN GATE, N.J. (AP) -
The Coast Guard is searching for a man reported missing after taking a rowboat into the Toms River hours before a strong storm hit that area of New Jersey.
Petty Officer Edward Wargo said the man was reported missing sometime around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and was last seen near Ocean Gate Beach.
The Coast Guard’s Fifth District posted surveillance photos on Facebook showing a man rowing a small boat into the river. A photo showing him walking in a parking lot was timestamped shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday.
The search continuing Wednesday afternoon included Coast Guard and local rescue crews, Wargo said.
A powerful storm swept across the area Tuesday afternoon, knocking down trees and power lines, with nearby Toms River among the places hardest hit. It wasn’t immediately clear if the storm was a factor in the disappearance, but Wargo said the two events happened at about the same time.
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