Commercial Fishing Boat Stuck on New Jersey Beach for Seven Days

Parts of a state park on the New Jersey shore were closed to vehicles and anglers after a 68-foot commercial fishing vessel with three people on board ran aground late on October 8. The boat was finally removed from the beach on October 15.

This drone footage by Luis D Suazo shows the stranded boat at the southern tip of New Jersey’s Island Beach State Park as rescue crews attempted to tow the boat from the beach on October 9.

According to NJ.com, Seaside Heights Fire Department Assistant Chief William Rumbolo said his department was dispatched to the scene at around 10 pm on October 8.

On October 10, the US Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay confirmed the “successful lightering” of the vessel, with the removal of over 2,300 gallons of fuel, “to mitigate the chance of pollution.”

The Coast Guard confirmed that none of the mariners on board were injured.

After days of rescue attempts, the vessel was removed from the beach in the early morning hours on October 15, according to TowBoatUS, who assisted in the recovery efforts. Credit: Luis D. Suazo via Storyful