By: Richard L. Smith
Rescue crews are searching Manahawkin Bay after a witness reported that a man may have jumped from the Route 72 bridge leading into Long Beach Island on Tuesday night.
According to Stafford police, a witness told officers they saw a person leap from the Dorland J. Henderson Memorial Bridge, which connects Stafford Township to Ship Bottom.
When officers arrived, they found an unoccupied gray Toyota Camry parked at the top of the steel girder span.
The vehicle is registered to a 19-year-old Monmouth County resident.
By Wednesday morning, helicopters, boats and drones were sweeping the area as agencies continued the search.
Police are asking the public not to fly personal drones, noting that they interfere with aircraft being used in the operation.
The U.S. Coast Guard and New Jersey State Police are assisting, along with police, fire and emergency service teams from Stafford, Ship Bottom and Barnegat.