Share this
Twitter
Myspace
Digg
Del.icio.us
Reddit
Slashdot
Furl
Yahoo
Technorati
Newsvine
Facebook
Export PDF
Print
E-mail
TagsBY ALICIA CRUZ
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
A body found floating beneath the Ocean Avenue Bridge in Avon Tuesday evening was identified as the 15-year-old Neptune resident who disappeared while swimming with friends at Bradley Beach last week.
Bradley Beach Police Chief Leonard Guida said a family friend, who is also a police officer, identified the body of Naisere Nelson. Guida said an official identification and the exact cause of death would follow an autopsy scheduled for today. The Ocean Avenue Bridge is about 1 1/2 miles south of the beach where Nelson was swept out to sea, according to an Associated Press report.
A fisherman spotted Nelson's body near the bridge at Shark River Inlet in Monmouth County. The bridge separates Avon-by-the-Sea and Belmar. Nelson's girlfriend, Shayna Meggs was present at the scene and said the discovery erased any hope Nelson was still alive, but also gave everyone a sense of closure. Guida agreed saying the family felt relief knowing Nelson was no longer out in the ocean alone, NJ.com reported.
According to the APP.com, Nelson was swimming in the ocean when he became caught in a rip current with two other people, Victor Pierez, 27, and Stephanie Crespo, 28, both of Elizabeth. Crespo and Pierez safely reached the shore, but Nelson did not make it, said Coast Guard officials.
Approximately 75 ANSWER team members, emergency personnel from police and fire departments in Bradley Beach, Neptune City and Avon responded to the 5:40 p.m. call for missing swimmers along with the Coast Guard.
Search divers were pulled from the water two hours later as a thunderstorm approached the area, but the Coast Guard remained offshore. Boat crews and Jet Ski searcher re-entered the water at the Brinley Avenue beach around 6:30 a.m. Sergeant Chuck Zulla said the search for Nelson was suspended around 2 p.m. the following day, the APP.com reported.
The Neptune Township High School sophomore, an avid football player since age 7, was a running back and cornerback on the junior varsity football team during his freshman and sophomore years at the high school.
More than 80 friends and relatives of the teen formed a human chain at the shoreline where Nelson disappeared and prayed for his safe return. Two facebook pages were created for the former high school football player where friends expressed sadness and love for Nelson.
The Shore Water Emergency Responders Neptune (ANSWER) team is apart of the SAR (Search and Rescue Council) Network which is comprised of Search and Rescue Teams from all over New Jersey including the New Jersey State Police OEM, Civil Air Patrol — New Jersey Wing, West Milford Search and Rescue, McGuire Alert Team, Inc. REACT 2797 amongst other organizations.
