Heavy holiday rain sinks
aid squad’s rescue boat

FAIR HAVEN — It was far from being a "perfect storm," but the rain on the Fourth of July was enough to dry dock the first aid squad’s rescue boat.

Last week, the squad’s boat capsized during the holiday rain, damaging much of the craft’s electrical system, said Wade Davis, captain of the borough’s first aid squad.

Normally the 17-foot boat is kept on a trailer, but the squad used it the previous evening to assist Red Bank during its annual fireworks display and the crew experienced no problems, according to Davis.

But while docked at Fair Haven Yacht Works on DeNormandie Avenue, the craft took on water and capsized, damaging the entire electrical system, the radios and navigational equipment, he said.

"Basically anything exposed to salt water," he said.

The extent of the damage is yet to be determined by the insurance company, and the first aid squad will wait until the final determination before deciding what to do, Davis said.

The rescue craft is a 30-year-old Duranautics that is actually a converted fishing boat. If the damage is deemed too extensive, the squad will have to decide whether it is worth repairing, Davis said

In the interim, Davis said, the borough will have access to Rumson’s boat.

"We’re looking to get something back in service for the time being," he said.

Traditionally, rescue boats are used more for recovery than rescues, Davis explained, such as for the bodies of the Highlands clammers, in which Fair Haven participated. But they are also used to assist stranded recreational boaters and those taken ill or injured on the area rivers.

— John Burton