Tugboat Breaks Mooring and Runs Aground on Jersey Shore

Tugboat Sea Cyprus aground in Lavallette, New Jersey, July 24, 2018. Photo: USACE

A tugboat working on a beachfill project for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ran aground early Tuesday near Lavallette, New Jersey. 

USACE’s Philadelphia District reports that the vessel, belonging to Weeks Marine, broke loose from a mooring and ran aground.

Local Lavallete Beach Patrol posted on Facebook that the grounding occurred at around 4:30 Tuesday morning. The beach has been closed surrounding the tugboat.

gCaptain can confirm that the tugboat is the 22-meter Sea Cyprus.

There were no injuries and no pollution has been reported.

Lifeguards warned of strong rip currents in the area with a Yellow Flag warning in place. Wind in the area was about 18 mph at around 2 p.m.

USACE said it was working with Weeks Marine and the U.S. Coast Guard to free the vessel, however, it is reported that no attempt to refloat vessel will be made until high tide later this afternoon.