State Police Identify Missing Boat Passenger as Lanoka Harbor Man

New Jersey State Police are continuing their search for a missing Lanoka Harbor man who fell overboard into the Barnegat Bay early Saturday evening.

Nicholas Holmes, 25, was a passenger in a 23-foot scarab boat when the incident occurred around 6 p.m., State Police Sgt. Brian Polite said today.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the boat hit the wake of another boat. Four people were on board, he said.

"It caused the driver to lose control of the boat and in turn ejected the two passengers," Polite said.

The other man, identified as Michael Cavanaugh, was able to make it back onto the boat. He received minor injuries and was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River, Police said.

The U.S. Coast Guard has stopped participating in the search, Petty Officer Michael Lutz said today.

"We won't resume unless we receive some new information that might expand the search perimeters," he said.

Searchers combed 72 nautical square miles on Sunday in an effort to find Holmes. The accident happened about five nautical miles north of Barnegat Light, Lutz said.

"We always hold out hope they are alive," Lutz said Sunday. "We suspend the case when we have exhausted all the areas to reasonably find them."

The circumstances of the accident are still under investigation, he said. 

"There's a couple of different stories," Lutz said yesterday. "We're just kind of waiting to get it nailed down."

The Coast Guard, New Jersey State Police, Berkeley Underwater Search and Rescue, the Lacey Dive Team and a Coast Guard helicopter from Atlantic City all assisted in the initial search.

The State Police are using several boats in today's search - including one equipped with side-scan sonar - and a helicopter, Polite said.

Visit Lacey Patch later for more information on this developing story.