Lost in the reeds: South Amboy drone team saves two boys in muddy Raritan Bay

Have you seen the story about the two teen boys who had to be rescued this past weekend after getting stuck in the Raritan Bay marsh?

Teen misadventures that hit close to home in New Jersey

Maybe it struck a chord with you the way it did with me—because I think we all have those memories from our teen years when we got in over our heads and needed someone to bail us out. I can still picture a few of those moments from my own childhood along the Great Egg Harbor River. My friends and I would sail from Mays Landing through Egg Harbor Township and out toward Ocean City. We’d wander up random tributaries, thinking we were explorers, and more than once we ended up stuck in the mud—or stranded after running out of gas. No cell phones back then, so we just had to hope another boater eventually came along to rescue us.

How the Raritan Bay rescue unfolded in the dark

In this latest case, South Amboy Police got a 911 call on Sunday evening, November 16, 2025. The caller said a small boat was lost somewhere in the marsh with two teens on board.

With the darkest days of the year upon us, it was already pitch-black when that call came in at 6:13 p.m. South Amboy police launched a drone, and by 6:20 it had located the boys. The drone’s infrared nighttime zoom—technology we could’ve only dreamed of back in my teen boating days—made the difference. Without it, finding those kids in the wind, cold, and wet, twisting darkness would’ve taken far longer.

Wind, mud and shallow water complicate the rescue

The wind had pushed their boat from Sayreville into South Amboy and ultimately deep into the marsh. They were stuck in shallow water among reeds and rocks, but thankfully, they did have a phone and called 911.

Sayreville Fire Department responded with an inflatable rescue boat, but the water got too shallow for even that, so first responders had to climb out and slog through the muddy marsh to reach the teens. It turned into a two-and-a-half-hour rescue, but they got them out safely. The boys were taken to the hospital to be checked for hypothermia.

A high-tech save — and a timeless lesson for young adventurers

Bravo to the South Amboy Police Drone Team, South Amboy Fire Department, the Perth Amboy Police boat and drone teams, and Middlesex County OEM. Thanks to them—and to a little bit of luck—these boys now have quite an adventurous story to tell for the rest of their lives.

In the end, it’s a good reminder: adventures can take unexpected turns, but it’s the quick-thinking heroes on the ground—and sometimes knee-deep in the mud—who make sure everyone gets home safe.