New Jersey State Police are not releasing the identities of any of the seven men aboard the pontoon, but said two of them were pronounced dead.
UPDATE: 2 men who died on capsized boat identified
MANASQUAN -- Two of the people pulled Friday afternoon from the ocean after their pontoon boat capsized off the Manasquan Inlet have died, authorities said.
New Jersey State Police are not releasing the identities of any of the seven men aboard the pontoon, but said two of them were pronounced dead.
Four others were taken to Ocean Medical Center in Brick Township with injuries that were not life threatening and one man refused medical treatment, said Sgt. Gregory Williams, a State Police spokesman.
He said investigators have not yet pinpointed why the pontoon capsized but said the strong currents at the time may have been a contributing factor.
RELATED: 7 pulled from ocean after pontoon boat capsizes at Manasquan Inlet
Police and fishermen in the area at the time had said the tide was changing and was strong around the time of the 1:30 p.m. incident.
The search and rescue effort involved the New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau, its Aviation Bureau, the U.S. Coast Guard and the New York Police Department dive team.
Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Chris Sparkman has said the boat was between 30 and 35 feet long. Authorities did not immediately know what the men were doing at the time of the incident. The boat capsized in a area that had relatively heavy boat traffic on a day when air temperatures reached over 60 degrees.
Because of that, Sparkman said, several boaters also came to the aid of the victims.
MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.