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Dana Wolfanger of Wanaque tells Daily Voice she spotted a surfer trying to save Matthew Mauro, 46, on Wednesday, Sept. 14 off Ortley Beach. She then notice his body tossing in the strong currents "way, way out," she said.
"We were just sitting on the beach. We noticed people standing close to the shoreline," said Wolfanger, a nurse and former lifeguard.
The surfer spent about 10 minutes trying to swim this man into shore, but no one else was jumping in, Wolfanger said. He eventually got the Middletown victim's body to shore where Wolfanger, her sister Jessica Colucci — who is a police officer from Livingston — and a lifeguard performed CPR on Mauro.
Seaside Heights Beach Patrol also assisted, the nurse said.
He was taken by EMS crews to Community Medical Center in Toms River where he was pronounced dead.
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