Five citizens and fire company recognized for saving teenager in New Jersey

Five citizens and the Whiting Volunteer Fire Company have been honored for saving a 16-year-old boy from a lake in Manchester Township, New Jersey. Patch reported that Manchester Township Police Chief Antonio Ellis presented the group with the Manchester Township Police Department Civilian Service Award. The recognition covers a life-saving rescue operation that took place in 2025. [1]

According to Patch, the emergency occurred on July 30, 2025, at Hidden Lake in the Whiting section of Manchester Township. Emergency responders received a report that a 16-year-old boy was unconscious in the water. Rescuers faced severe access challenges because the lake was in a remote area with difficult terrain. [1]

Patch reported that five individuals were recognized for their direct involvement in the rescue effort. The honored civilians are Joseph Griscavage Jr., Noah DeSimone, Dylan Verge, Sydney Reilly, and Makenzie Vulgaris. Members of the Whiting Volunteer Fire Company and Manchester EMS were also recognized for their coordinated response during the incident. [1]

Community emergency responses and official commendations for life-saving rescues occur frequently across local departments. As HEROIC BREAKING NEWS reported earlier, citizens and police officers in Champaign, Illinois, recently received official commendations after swimming into a flooded retention pond to successfully rescue a 90-year-old driver from a submerged vehicle. [4]