Divers pull father from river in Somerset County, NJ — update

FRANKLIN (Somerset) — A father who went into the Millstone River to help his three children drowned Wednesday afternoon.

Police were called to the river in Franklin Township after the children age 13,11 and 8 were on the shore after their father, a 42-year-old South River man, got them out of the shallow water, according to Franklin Township Police Lt. Vincent Wilson. The dad lost his balance and did not resurface after falling back into the water.

First responders found the man around 5:30 p.m. by the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office dive team. The children were checked over at the scene. The current of the water was described as swift by Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Chief Frank Roman.

Wilson did not disclose the man's identity pending notification of family.

Several police and EMS agencies were part of the part of the search in the swift current of the canal including State Police.

Franklin Township police will further investigate the incident.

Drownings in New Jersey

There were two drownings on Saturday in Monmouth County.

A Long Branch man drowned in the Swimming River Reservoir in Thompson County Park in Middletown while another man was pulled out of the ocean in an unguarded section of Gunnison Beach in Sandy Hook.

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