Salt Creek Grille manager Id as lost Spring Lake swimmer

Spring Lake drowning victim ID'd as Keyport man

By ED JOHNSON
STAFF WRITER

Police have identified the man who drowned on Sunday as Luke Walsh, 38, of
Keyport.

The action came as the U.S. Coast Guard said it was suspending its search for a possible second swimmer who had been reported in distress in the same waters.

Police Chief Robert Dawson Jr. said investigators now believe there was not a second swimmer in distress.
http://bite-nj.blogspot.com/2008/06/storm-watching-at-salt-creek-grille.html
"We were able to determine that Mr. Walsh had gone into the water alone,'' Dawson said. "We also checked the area around the beach and there were no cars there, no beach chairs, no indication that there was anyone else who had gone into the water and not returned.''

In addition, police said they had not received an missing person report that would indicate a swimmer had gone out and not returned.

Based on that, Dawson said police and beach patrol personnel suspended their search Sunday evening.

"Based on the information we had and the roughness of the surf we couldn't justify sending our personnel into the water,'' Dawson said. "The Coast Guard stayed on station for about four hours extra.''

The Coast Guard continued to search after sunrise on Monday, but has since called off their search, said Petty Officer Crystalynn Kneen.

Walsh died Sunday afternoon after attempts at resuscitation failed, police and the Coast Guard said.

Two rescue boat crews from Coast Guard Station Manasquan Inlet, a rescue helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City and members of the Spring Lake Police Department and Beach Patrol were involved in Sunday's search for the reported second swimmer, officials said.

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