At approximately 7:27 p.m. Sunday, emergency dispatchers received a call about bathers in distress at an unprotected beach on the Great Egg Harbor Inlet just south of the Ocean City-Longport Bridge, according to a city press release.
When first responders arrived, family members indicated that one bather had not returned to shore.
Ocean City Police Department, Ocean City Fire Department, Ocean City Beach Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard, Longport Volunteer Fire Department, Longport Beach Patrol and Scullville Volunteer Fire Department personnel responded and immediately began to search for the bather.
The missing swimmer is identified as Jabed Ikbal, 24, of Clementon, N.J.
The initial investigation indicates that Ikbal entered the water to assist two other family members who were in trouble.
The two made it safely to the beach, but Ikbal did not. Strong daily tidal currents create dangerous conditions at the beach where Ikbal disappeared.
The search for Ikbal will continue Monday morning with Ocean City Beach Patrol, Ocean City Police Department and Ocean City Fire Department personnel and equipment.
