A Deal police officer is hailed as a hero for rescuing 3 people from a strong rip current at a Deal beach.

Nicholas Vaccaro
Nicholas Vaccaro (Deal Police)
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A man went into the ocean late Tuesday afternoon and got caught in the current according to the Star Ledger.

Patrolman Nicholas Vaccaro and Sgt. Tonen Neuman responded to the call for help and Vacarro went into the ocean to rescue two men age 21 and 33 who tried to rescue the third man  while Neuman went to get additional gear from their cruiser.

Another man, age 54, was clinging to a jetty. “Recognizing the third victim was in grave danger, Vaccaro re-entered the rough surf without any life safety equipment and made his way to the third victim who was struggling to keep his head above water,” said Deal Police Chief Stephen in a statement.

The unidentified man was treated for lacerations to the head reports the Star Ledger.

"He selflessly put his own life on the line and entered the water without hesitation. He was able to pull three people from the ocean without incident," praised Deal PBA Local 101 on its Facebook page.

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