Toms River man drowns at Mariner's Cove, police investigating

TOMS RIVER — The drowning of a man at Mariner's Cove remains under investigation.

Police on the evening of Aug. 19 responded to a report of a man in distress in the water at the end of Kettle Creek Road. Wayne Brotsky, 64, of Toms River, was fighting to stay afloat and then disappeared under the water, police said.

Silverton's fire chief was the first official on the scene and jumped in the water. A Toms River officer and Silverton firefighters joined in the search and pulled Brotsky from the water, unresponsive, after approximately 10 minutes, police said.

Responders performed CPR at the scene and Brotsky regained a pulse, but he was later pronounced dead at Community Medical Center.

Contact reporter Dino Flammia at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com.

NJ arrests 31 accused child predators in "Operation 24/7"

A roundup of 31 men have been accused of sexually exploiting children online, state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced on July 14 while detailing "Operation 24/7."

The suspects “possessed and or distributed videos and images of child sexual abuse, including in many cases videos of young children being raped by adults,” Grewal said.

Chat apps and gaming platforms remain favorite hunting grounds for child predators and even as the pandemic winds down, many children have continued to spend more time online.

State Police received 39% more tips in just the first 6 months of 2021 than they received in the entire year in 2019. The following are suspects charged in "Operation 24/7."

50 Most Popular Chain Restaurants in America

YouGov investigated the most popular dining brands in the country, and Stacker compiled the list to give readers context on the findings. Read on to look through America's vast and divergent variety of restaurants—maybe you'll even find a favorite or two.