Firefighters recover a body in Great Egg Harbor Inlet near Ocean City. A man went missing there six days ago
A fisherman discovered the body about 6 a.m., Ocean City officials said.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/6RADVA3S2FDNTDNZXCKBVFSXKI.jpg)
Firefighters recovered an unidentified body found floating Saturday in the Great Egg Harbor Inlet between Ocean City and Longport, and authorities were investigating whether it was that of a 24-year-old man who was missing and presumed drowned last Sunday after swimming in rough waters.
A fisherman found the body about 6 a.m. and called 911, according to a statement from Doug Berman, a spokesperson for Ocean City. The Longport Fire Department launched a boat and recovered the body, the statement said.
The family of the missing swimmer was informed, officials said.
Jabed Ikbal, 24, went missing after he was caught in rough waters near the Ocean City-Longport Bridge. His family said he split time between Clementon, N.J., and Brooklyn.
“He was a very good man,” his brother, Mohammed Khalil, said Monday in an interview with The Inquirer. “He always has family that loves him. My mother and father, they love him. That’s all I can say.”
Authorities said Ikbal had helped two family members to safety before he was pulled under by rough surf kicked up by Tropical Storm Fay.
The New Jersey Southern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office was working to identify the body Saturday.