Crime & Safety

Still No Answers in Fatal Canoe Accident

The drowning death of 18-year-old Ryan Worrall, of Bayville, remains a mystery

It's been nearly four months since Ryan Worrall drowned in the darkness in the waters of Barnegat Bay. It was a bay he knew well, having grown up along the tidal marshes in Bayville.

And just what happened on the night of June 10 still isn't known and may never be known. There were only two people in that canoe and only one is still here to tell his story. That person is Trevor Murphy.

Murphy was in municipal court last Wednesday. He pleaded not guilty to leaving the scene of a fatal boat accident and reckless operation of a boating vessel. Ryan's parents, Lynn MacIntosh and Patrick Worrall, were at the arraignment.

Find out what's happening in Brickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Patch has tried, but has been unable to obtain all of the details of what happened that late spring night on the bay. The New Jersey State Police and later the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office have released some information, but not the accident scenario and the immediate aftermath.

And unfortunately, many of the responses to the questions listed below have been "No comment." The accident remains as much a mystery as it was back in June.

Find out what's happening in Brickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Trevor Murphy and Ryan Worrall attended a post-graduation party that night, somewhere in the Bayville area. A friend dropped them off in the early morning hours of June 10, near Worrall's Balsam Drive home.

Questions - Where was the party held? Who served the attendees liquor?

The young men - who had both graduated from Central Regional High School just two days before - decided to go for a canoe ride in Barnegat Bay after they returned to Bayville.

Questions- Whose canoe was it? What happened to the canoe after the accident? Was it returned or left to float in the bay?

At some point during the canoe ride, the boat overturned and the two men went into the water. Murphy managed to swim to shore. Ryan drowned.

Questions- How long were they on the canoe? How far out where they? How did it overturn?

Questions- What did Murphy do after he made it to shore? Did he make any attempt to save his friend?

Apparently Murphy never dialed 911 or let anyone know his friend was in trouble. Ryan's body was found floating in the water off by an off-duty New Jersey State Trooper on a Jet-Ski late in the afternoon of June 10. The officer promptly notified authorities.

Question - Why didn't Murphy notify authorities as soon as he could? What did he do and where did he go that day?

An autopsy the following day determined that Ryan died of accidental drowning. Toxicological tests later revealed he had blood alcohol level of .076, under the state's legal limit of .08.

Hundreds of relatives and friends turned out for Ryan's two wakes held at Mastapeter Funeral Home early the following week. Ryan, now forever 18, was loved by many.

Rumors were rampant in the weeks after the accident. There's still a lot more to this story than has been released. And those who loved him deserve more answers than they have received.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.