Recovered Sail Spurs Rescue Search

Rescue workers are scrambling to find the owner of a kiteboarding sail that washed ashore at Bradley Beach's Fourth Avenue on Friday afternoon.

Authorities worry that the owner of the apparatus may be lost in the Atlantic Ocean somewhere south of Asbury Park.

"The information's a little sketchy at this point," Bradley Beach Police Chief Leonard Guida said.

Guida explained that the brightly colored sail was spotted in the ocean off Asbury Park and was blown quickly southward by hard, northerly winds. The sail was eventually brought in at Bradley Beach's Fourth Avenue and an immediate search effort was mounted.

No person has been reported missing and while the possibility exists that the sail was not in use by a kiteboarder when it became lost at sea, authorities have elected to err on the side of caution.

"Now we're just trying to confirm the status, whether someone is missing or not," Guida said.

Emergency Medical Service and Water Rescue teams from Bradley Beach, Neptune City, Shark River Hills and Avon-by-the-Sea were joined by a cutter from the United States Coast Guard in conducted a visual search of the ocean.

Visibility has become a problem due to choppy conditions created by the wind.

The recovered kite sail is a Best Kiteboarding brand Kahoona model measuring 11.5 meters. It is mainly black and white with some bright green accents.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact Sgt. Michael Riccardi of the Bradley Beach Police at 732-775-6900.

Kiteboarding is an extreme sport that has grown in popularity since its inception in the mid-90's. The sport requires a rider to wear a waist harness, which is connected to a broad sail or kite by cables and flies high above their head. The rider has their feet strapped to a board and they use the wind power to accelerate across the surface of the water.