Disabled Tug Boat With People Broke Free Near Point Pleasant

A tug boat with people on board broke free at the Jersey Shore on Tuesday and was floating out to sea for more than 8 hours, according to the Coast Guard. The tug boat was finally brought under control and removed Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

The Sea Cypress was essentially stranded in the water and on a sandbar, prompting the closures of some beaches at Lavallette, even though there was no resulting pollution. The beaches were eventually reopened, the Lavallette Beach Patrol said in a Facebook post.

The Coast Guard was notified about the incident around 3:30 a.m. when the tug boat was first hovering off Lavallette. The boat's tether line got caught up in the propeller and disabled the boat, according to the Coast Guard.

There are four people on board, but no injuries have been reported, according to the Coast Guard.

Watch the video below:

This is a developing story. Patch will have more information as it comes in.

Photo courtesy of WEEZER @followtheweez