(Tribune News Service) — Four off-duty Coast Guard members helped rescue a distressed swimmer at a lake secluded in a South Jersey township on Thursday afternoon, according to local police.

The lake is behind patches of trees on Harbor Avenue in Mays Landing in Atlantic County.

A witness told NJ Advance Media a group of people with at least two vehicles were gathering at the pit. The group, the witness said, paused their gathering, watching as they ran toward the lake before first responders arrived.

It was unclear if the Coast Guard members were with the group congregating beside the water. An email to the Coast Guard by NJ Advance Media for comment was not immediately returned.

The four Coast Guard members, whom police said are stationed in Atlantic City, performed first aid to the swimmer, who was then taken to a hospital by township rescue crews, police said.

An update on the swimmer’s condition was not available, but police told NJ Advance Media the incident did not end in a fatality.

At least two New Jersey Forest Fire Service trucks responded. A Hamilton Township police car blocked off access to the pit around 3:15 p.m., leaving about five minutes later.

The lake sits a few hundred feet from the roadway, covered from view by patches of trees. The lake is surrounded by sand that gives motorists access to the secluded body of water from the road.

Township police urged residents to swim only in guarded places.

econklin@njadvancemedia.com.

©2024 Advance Local Media LLC.

Visit nj.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.