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Overcast Tugboat sinks off Atlantic Beach
Vessel lost control of barge it was towing
The 26-foot tugboat “Pushy” lost control of a barge it was towing off Atlantic Beach on Jan. 13 and sank, according to the Coast Guard.
Pushy and the 125-foot deck barge it was towing separate “following an interaction with a large swell” at 7:30 p.m. Monday, the Coast Guard said.
After the tugboat sank, the barge, which was hauling construction equipment, washed up at Silver Point County Park, Coast Guard officials said.
One person was aboard the tugboat, and he was rescued by a NYPD helicopter. No injuries were reported.
How to move the barge safely is what officials are trying to figure out. Salvage work is expected to get underway on Wednesday.
The tugboat and barge were heading to a New York City shipyard after leaving a job site on the Robert Moses Causeway Bridge, where the barge was being used to sand blast and paint the bridge.
