Fishing Boat Sinks After Removal From Point Pleasant Beach

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ — A commercial fishing vessel that ran aground in Point Pleasant Beach on Friday has sunk not far from where it came ashore.

The Susan Rose, a 77-foot trawler, was pulled off the beach about 1 a.m. Sunday, according to John Hawryluk, a tug boat captain with Weeks Marineand the owner of Capt. John's Dive and Marine Services.

"Unfortunately it began to take on water, roll over and sank about 10 minutes later roughly 500-1,000 feet from its original location on the beach," Hawryluk said.

It is in about 48 feet of water, NJ.com reported, quoting the U.S. Coast Guard. The boat's fuel and oil had been pumped out before it was towed off the beach, the report said.

The boat had run aground just south of Manasquan Inlet about 5 a.m. Friday and had been sitting on the beach getting battered by waves, as seen in video published by Shore Boats.

Hawryluk said there is 300 yards of towline still attached to the Susan Rose and the boat's antennas are visible above the water, along with a large orange buoy to mark the spot, and boaters should steer clear of the southeast side of Manasquan Inlet because the submerged vessel poses a serious hazard to navigation.

The cause of the grounding remains under investigation, the NJ.com report said.

There were four people on board when the boat ran aground on Friday. One was able to get off before authorities arrived, but three others had to be rescued. Ryan Mack of Jersey Shore Fire Response captured the rescue on video.

The boat, whose home port was in Point Judith, Rhode Island, had been fishing for black sea bass and flounder off New Jersey, the Asbury Park Press reported.

The vessel had been built in 1977 by Steiner Shipbuilding, according to Baltic Shipping.com.