On Saturday, Aug. 3, New Jersey State Police George Wren was vacationing with his family in Sea Isle City, when he rescued a swimmer who was caught in a riptide and being pulled into the ocean, according to the State Police Facebook page.
Moments after explaining the dangers of the rip current to his children, a woman frantically approached Wren and screamed that a man was drowning.
Wren, a detective sergeant first class, observed the man about 75 yards from the shoreline drifting further into the ocean, the post read.
Wren relied upon his water rescue training and used a surfboard to navigate the treacherous current to swim to the victim. When he reached the swimmer, he could see that the man was fatigued and barely able to keep himself afloat.
He assisted the man onto the surfboard and swam with him back to shore where he was treated by emergency personnel.
It was later determined that the man had suffered a heart attack when he was rescued. He has since been released from the hospital and is at home recovering.
