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A distressed swimmer was safely rescued by two fire department assigned rescue swimmers, Asbury Park Fire Department spokesman Garrett Giberson Jr said.

The dispatch call, which came in at 3:05 p.m., reported that three swimmers were in distress on the Second Avenue beach in front of The Stone Pony, Giberson said. Firefighters Ryan Matthews and John Anastasia, who were the on duty assigned rescue swimmers arrived within minutes.

Upon arrival they were told that the three swimmers were in the water passed the jetty due to rip current.

Matthews was deployed to rescue the one swimmer in their sights. When the rip current proved problematic with the rescue, Anastasia was deployed to assist, Giberson said.

The other two swimmers made it back on land safely. The swimmers included 17-year-old Elsa Pena-Guzman, 32-year-old Rodolfo Pena, and 18-year-old Manuel Tolentino. All three refused medical attention.

Beach-goer Chris Davis helped to rescue one of the three swimmers who got caught in the riptide, his mother Marie Davis said.

“He swam out to the man who was the farthest out and who could not swim,” she said. “At his own risk, he swam in and saved that man’s life.  His wife and others on the beach called 911 so the other two swimmers could be rescued.”

While all firefighters are trained in water rescue, Giberson warned the public not to swim in unprotected waters.

“Lifeguards are now off duty,” he said. “If it wasn’t for the quick response of the fire department being deployed, we could have had a totally different outcome.”

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