By Lynda Cohen
The Duke O’Fluke got more than fish out of the water on Sunday.
When the captain and first mate of the Somers Point-based boat saw two people struggling in the rip current off Egg Harbor Township, they helped fish them out of the water, police said.
Andrew and Joshua Vanhoy, ages 35 and 38, were in the water at Malibu Beach — better known as Dog Beach — when they started getting pulled away from shore and under the Ocean City Bridge, township Lt. Michael Finnerty said.
As rescuers including Longport police and lifeguards, Egg Harbor Township’s EMS and fire, and New Jersey State P headed to the scene.
But when they got there, the pair already had been rescued by Good Samaritans, who were already gone from the scene.
Township police later found out that Duke O’Fluke Capt. Lee Scanny, 63, of Linwood, and Fist Mate Jake Delarso, 27, of Somers Point, were the silent saviors.
The two saw people waving frantically from the rocks at Klingert Fishing Pier, which drew their attention to the two victims in the water, Finnerty said.
Scanny navigated to the swimmers and deployed life rings along with life jackets.
Scanny, Delarso and a few additional passengers then assisted the victims to shallow water.
