Trio seeking shelter from waterspout rescued from the marshes

DOWNE TWP. -- Three people were rescued late Sunday afternoon from a Cumberland County marsh after they became stranded when they sought shelter from an approaching waterspout, authorities said.

"They said it (the waterspout) literally came within 10 feet of them," said Downe Township Fire Co. and Dive Team Chief Cliff Higbee.

The drama unfolded along the Delaware around 4:30 when a line of thunderstorms swept through the area from across the Delaware Bay.

A woman, her boyfriend and her young daughter set out from the area of the Turkey Point Bridge for what they thought would be an afternoon of canoeing and crabbing, the chief said.

As storms swept into the area a waterspout formed and made its way over the marsh were the three were in their boat. Seeing the waterspout approaching, they made their way to a bank in a "finger ditch" off of the main Fortescue Creek, Higbee said.

"They did everything right," Highbee said. The mother and daughter got out of the canoe and onto the marsh bank while the man stayed in the canoe so it didn't float away.

The three, from Franklinville in neighboring Gloucester County, did not want to be identified, Higbee said.

Along with the Downe Township Fire Co. and Dive Team, the Dividing Creek Fire Co., Port Norris Fire Co. and Millville rescue squad were dispatched.

What made it difficult for both the canoers and the rescue crews was that it was low tide -- and the tide was extremely low because of the new moon, leaving little water for the boats to maneuver in, the chief said.

Higbee said much of the credit for the rescue goes to the Cumberland County 911 Center dispatchers who kept in contact with the lost boaters on their cell phone, making it possible for rescue crews to locate the three. After about 45 minutes of searching, Higbee rescuers saw a paddle with a life vest on top and found them.

The rare water spout stemmed from a "strong, low-level circulation" near a warm front, the same conditions that produce tornadoes, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Walt Drag.

"If it was over land, it would've been a tornado," Drag said.

He said the waterspout that formed over the Delaware Bay was reported at 4:05 p.m. It only lasted for one minute and was associated with a small thunderstorm that included 40 to 50 mile per hour winds.

Drag said no injuries or damage resulted from the water spout.

After they were checked out by EMTs at the Fortescue dock, the rescued canoers were taken back to their car near the Turkey Point Bridge officials said. Their canoe was also retrieved from the marsh.

Higbee said waterspouts over the Delaware Bay off Fortescue are not rare, but ones over the inland marsh are.

"It just seemed like that waterspout dropped out of nowhere," he said.

"It was great teamwork by all the companies involved," said Dividing Creek Fire Co. Chief Jeff Wolf.

"They were lucky, that's for sure," he said of the three rescued.

Avalon Zoppo contributed to this report. She may be reached at azoppo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AvalonZoppo.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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