The Coast Guard rescued 7 people from a tug carrying a 290-foot barge from New Jersey

January 15, 2023

BALTIMORE, Maryland. The Coast Guard rescued seven people Saturday from a drifting tug towing a barge 30 miles off the coast of Ocean City.

A crew member aboard the tugboat Heritage notified officers at the Maryland Coast Guard Sector – National Capital Region around 3:30 am Saturday that while towing a 290-foot barge from New Jersey to Guyana, a 1,000-foot towline became tangled and the propeller was fouled. starboard. The vessel continued to give way on one engine when the tow line broke. The crew attempted to return the barge to tow, causing the cable to become entangled in the port propeller, immobilizing the ship.

A member of the tug’s crew reported that the Heritage was inoperable and was preparing to leave the ship.

The 154-foot Coast Guard cutter Lawrence Lawson, docked in Cape May, New Jersey, was already on its way and was sent to the scene to help. Once at the scene, the boat’s crew was unable to approach the disabled tug or barge due to weather conditions at the scene and concerns that a loose towline below the water’s surface could foul the coast guard boat’s propellers. Lawrence Lawson maintained the station and provided critical assistance to the response units and ensured the safety of the seven crew members.

Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capitol launched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, New Jersey and an MH-60 Jayhawk crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina to lift seven people. from the ship. After all seven people were safely lifted, crews flew them to Ocean City Municipal Airport in Maryland with no injuries reported.

The crew of the tug activated an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), and the MH-60 Coast Guard deployed a Self-Locating Data Marker Buoy (SLDMB) for Coast Guard attendants to track the tug and barge in anticipation of a commercial rescue.

The boat departed Dorchester Shipyard 13 Front St, Dorchester, NJ 08316 for Kingstown, according to Marine Traffic.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, due on 26 January 2023. Current Location: Near Ocean City, Maryland.