New Jersey officer dies hours after jumping in river to save woman who swam away

BRIDGETON, N.J. — A New Jersey police officer died Sunday only hours after he jumped into the Cohansey River in an attempt to save a woman’s life.

The Bridgeton Police Department confirmed Sean Peek, a 15-year veteran of the department, died at his home a few hours after being discharged from the hospital in the aftermath of the incident.

According to WCAU, Peek was working the overnight shift into Sunday morning when he and other officers were called to assist with a report of an ambulance being struck by an unknown object at around 1:30 a.m.

Upon arrival, Peek saw a woman run into nearby woods and then saw her either jump or fall into the river, so he jumped in after her but became bogged down by his gear while she swam to the opposite bank, the TV station reported.

“Sean made a decision as would any officer and entered the water in attempt to pull the person from the running waters no matter what the circumstances,” Bridgeton Police Chief Michael Gaimari Sr. said in a prepared statement.

Other responding officers assisted Peek, who was treated at the scene and taken to Inspira Health Center for evaluation, while the woman, identified as 29-year-old Sarah Jeanne Davis of Canton, Connecticut, was arrested and charged with burglarizing several city-owned structures, NJ.com reported.

Davis, who was also evaluated at the medical center prior to her arrest, allegedly broke windows and damaged equipment, causing more than a thousand dollars in damage, NJ.com reported.

Peek was examined, released and told not to return to work until cleared to do so, and family members found him unresponsive at his home later Sunday, WCAU reported.

Gaimari told NJ.com that an official cause of death is pending an autopsy.

“We are naturally devastated here at the department. Sean was a fine officer and a friend to all and always acted in an exemplary fashion when representing the department and the city of Bridgeton. He will be sorely missed,” Gaimari stated.

Peek is survived by his wife and daughter.

Cox Media Group