Teen killed in gruesome NJ shore motor boat accident

🚨 State Police said an 18-year-old from Wayne was killed

🚨 Harvey Cedars police asked for prayers for the affected family

🚨 State Police are leading the investigation

HARVEY CEDARS — First responders converged on a Long Beach Island beach for what police called a “tragic boating accident” Sunday afternoon.

State Police Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron said Zeina Mahafzah, 18, of Wayne was on a raft being pulled by a boat off Sunset Park in Harvey Cedars around 4:30 p.m. When she was trying to get on board the boat she was struck by the boat's propeller.

She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Lebron.

Law enforcement sources told New Jersey 101.5 the boat was driven by her father.

Multiple people on board the boat were traumatized by the incident, according to NBC Philadelphia, which was first to report details about the tragedy.

ALSO READ: Alert for NJ ATM users: pesky fee reaches 26-year high

Family tragedy

"We ask that you keep the family and community in your thoughts and prayers," Harvey Cedars police wrote in a post on their Facebook page.

Rutgers University said Zeina was enrolled at the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers Newark for fall 2024 classes.

"The Rutgers-Newark community is devastated by the news of Zeina’s passing, and we are sending our support to the Mahafzah family during this incredibly difficult time," spokeswoman Dory Devlin told New Jersey 101.5 in an email.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom