Hero bystander jumps into icy ocean to save woman tangled in fishing line

🚨 A woman fell from a jetty into frigid ocean water in Ocean Grove

🚨 A Good Samaritan jumped in and pulled her to safety before first responders arrived

🚨 Rescuers warned that cold shock in 40-degree water can cause rapid incapacitation

NEPTUNE TOWNSHIP — A woman who became entangled in fishing line and fell from a jetty into the frigid ocean water Tuesday afternoon has a passerby to thank for saving her life.

A bystander saw the woman get caught on a fishing hook and fall into the water below in the Ocean Grove section of Neptune Township, the Area Network of Shore Water Emergency Responders Water Rescue Team said. The bystander also fell into the water but managed to get the woman to the beach. Another person made a call to 911 and brought first responders to the scene. The identities of the women were not disclosed.

"Had the Good Samaritan not been there to witness the fall and assist her from the water, this incident may have resulted in a drowning," ANSWER said on their Facebook page.

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Cold ocean temperatures created life-threatening conditions

Ocean temperatures were around 40 degree on Tuesday morning, a bit below normal as a result of recent snow and cold temperatures, according to New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow. When the water temperatures are below 50 degrees, the chance of immediate incapacitation due to cold shock is extremely high. It can become difficult to control breathing after just three minutes in the water, which could lead to drowning. The act of swimming and struggling in the water can increase the rate of body cooling by 30-40%.

ANSWER includes more than 150 volunteers who provide water rescue services to Neptune Township, Shark River, Ocean Grove, Neptune City, Bradley Beach and Avon-by-the-Sea. It was formed by the Neptune Township Office of Emergency Management.

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