The 55-year-old Watchung resident suffered an apparent heart attack shortly after returning to shore.
Long Beach Island. (File photo)A devoted family man died after suffering an apparent heart attack while rescuing three teens, including his son, outside his Long Beach Island vacation home during a recent weekend getaway, according to a report on MyCentralJersey.com.
On June 5 at approximately 5 p.m., James Clarke, 55, of Watchung and his wife, Jane, were sitting outside their beachfront home when a friend of his 15-year-old son, Peter, ran up shouting that Peter and two other boys were caught in a riptide, according to the report.
The boys were stuck about 100 yards off the beach and in danger of being swept away. After reaching them, James Clarke helped secure one who had swallowed saltwater onto a boogie board, and the group headed to safety.
Woman caught in rip current, dies
But shortly after returning to the shore, James Clarke suddenly collapsed in the surf from an apparent heart attack.
Peter Clarke tried to perform CPR on his father and a nurse who happened to be nearby helped. Soon, the paramedics arrived, but they were unable to revive him.
The couple, who had been married 24 years, had lived in Watchung for 14 years and James Clarke called their beach home his "little slice of heaven," the report said. James Clarke also ran Bedrooms Unlimited, on Route 22 in Union.
The death was the second water rescue-related death in Long Beach Township this month. On Saturday, a a 24-year-old New York woman died after being swept out into the ocean in an apparent rip current off Long Beach Island. She was identified only as being from Port Chester, New York.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.