Nine adults and a dog were rescued from flooded motel rooms in Egg Harbor Township Saturday as a nor’easter brought heavy rain and coastal flooding to the region.
The Pleasantville Fire Department initially responded to the West Atlantic City section of the township shortly after 9 a.m. Sept. 26 to check on motel guests, according to the Egg Harbor Township Police Department.
Firefighters found 2 to 3 feet of tidal water inside first-floor rooms at the Travel Inn and New Sea Breeze motels, police said.
The Bargaintown Volunteer Fire Company was then called to the scene with its high-water rescue vehicle and equipment.
Gene Sharpe, the company’s chief, said firefighters determined that nine people and a dog at the Sea Breeze needed to be evacuated — all were successfully rescued.
The recovered guests were first taken to the West Atlantic City firehouse before being transported to the Egg Harbor Township Community Center, where a warming center had been established.
Sharpe said the township provided transportation to the community center so officials could determine where the guests would go next.
Among those rescued was an adult in a wheelchair. Sharpe said the firefighters have equipment on their truck to assist with rescues involving people with mobility limitations.
“It [involved] lifting them up and making sure that we try to keep them out of the water as much as we can… and then we have ramps on the truck, ladders [and] everything we need,” Sharpe said.
The company also carries two dog crates in their truck specifically for rescuing animals.
“We try to equip our truck with as many things as we think we’re going to need,” Sharpe said.
Firefighters were able to leash the dog and guide it through the water before placing it in one of the crates.
“The dog was too big to lift up, so they ended up having him come through the water, he was pretty calm,” Sharpe said. “And then once we get him on the truck, we put him in the crate, and that’s for everybody’s safety — because there are people out there who aren’t comfortable regardless of how nice the dog is.”
After the initial rescue, Bargaintown firefighters returned to the motels to check the first-floor rooms a second time.
Sharpe said the additional search was intended to make sure nobody had been left behind.
During that second check, firefighters discovered smoke at the Travel Inn and determined that a small fire was burning inside one of the rooms.
The fire was traced to a small refrigerator, which Sharpe believes was related to the flooding.
Firefighters quickly located the room and extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported, according to the Egg Harbor Township Police Department.
Sharpe said the response lasted until approximately 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Afterward, firefighters cleaned their equipment and vehicles to remove saltwater and prepare for another potential call.
He said the department wanted to make sure its equipment was ready in case crews were needed again.
The rescue came as the nor’easter brought strong winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding across the Northeast. The Associated Press reported that some areas of New Jersey received more than 4 inches of rain beginning Friday, with flooding reported in multiple locations.
Sharpe said residents may underestimate the potential for flooding in West Atlantic City and urged people to follow instructions from emergency officials.
“I think that it’s just that they don’t believe it. They don’t think that it’s not going to happen to us, even though the state’s built the road [in West Atlantic City] up a little bit, trying to deal with the flooding,” Sharpe said. “But it’s just not going to stop Mother Nature.”
Most roads were passable by Saturday afternoon, although drivers were still advised to use caution in flood-prone areas.
Julia graduated from Rider University in 2024 with a BA in multiplatform journalism and minor in social media strategies. In addition to reporting on local news for Shore Local, she is a social media strategist for small businesses. Connect with her: shorelocaljulia@gmail.com or @juliatrain on Instagram.
