NJ teens who saved pit bull from marsh: ‘It’s a miracle we saw him’

The girls kayaking in the Toms River who rescued Remy said it was a miracle that they were able to find the pit bull under a dock, where the dog had struggled to stay afloat for hours.

Kayla Versfelt, a 17-year-old junior at Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School, was in a kayak on Saturday afternoon  when they saw Remy, 10-month-old pit bull struggling in the marshy area.  Friends Cassidy Grey, 18, from Somerville, and Jason Carlo, Ramsey Othman and Andrew Mazur, all from Bridgewater, were in a second kayak.

Remy's owner Mike Incremona, said they saw Remy run into the water on video surveillance footage early Saturday morning but couldn't find him in the immediate area. Incremona said Remy swam to a marsh where he became stuck in the mud.

Versfelt said Remy was tired but felt muscular as they worked to free Remy. As they tried to figure out who Remy belonged to, they asked postal carrier Al Font if he recognized Remy. Font remembered seeing a flyer about a lost dog and called out Remy's name which he immediately responded to.

"We were all the right place at the right time," Versfelt said.

Remy's owner Mike Incremona, whose family has a summer home nearby, was in tears when he saw Remy.

"It was really nice to see his pick up Remy and hold him," said Versfelt. Incremona told the group that he wanted to reward them and gave them $100 cash.

"We were just happy we saw Remy under the dock and were able to return him to his owner," Versfelt said. The group spent their reward money on dinner at the River's Edge restaurant in Toms River.

Incremona said on Wednesday that Remy is doing a lot better and happy to be home. "I can't thank those girls enough," he said.