BOCA RATON, FLA. (WSVN) - Crews in Boca Raton worked to move the containers on a barge a day after, authorities said, the vessel and a tugboat washed ashore and became grounded.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the tugboat The Sea Eagle was pulling a barge full of containers when it began to take on water, late Thursday night.
7News cameras captured the vessels on the sand just north of Hillsboro Boulevard, Friday afternoon.
“It was a barge that was beached with containers on it, and a tugboat right here that’s been beached,” said a beachgoer.
“I live right down the street here, so we normally come hang out at the beach — breathe, meditate, stretch, hang out, get a little sun,” said another beachgoer.
The Coast Guard said the The Sea Eagle and the barge had been chartered by the Navy to bring munitions, fuel and other supplies to a Navy base on Andros Island in the Bahamas.
The mayday call that was placed from the tugboat Thursday night stated there were eight to 10 containers with a 1,000-foot steel cable on board.
“Saw helicopter all night, wondering what they were looking for,” said Wade Greaton.
The U.S. Coast Guard and Sea Tow responded to the call, and four people that were aboard the tugboat were able to get off the boat safely.
“The barge and boat kept washing up to shore, then drifting out to sea. Law enforcement and search and rescue were working on getting the barge away from the tug, so that presumably they both didn’t capsize or damage each other,” said Greaton.
Crews were then able to secure the boat on to the sand.
Friday afternoon many containers were still on the barge. They were being heavily guarded.
Some of the materials inside the containers are corrosive. Hazmat signs could be seen on the containers, as crews worked to get them removed and secured quickly.
“Came out here this morning, and it was a pretty full barge, like you see out in the shipping lanes, and now obviously they are taking all of the containers off,” said Greaton. “There had to be two dozen containers on that barge.”
The beach was closed for about a quarter mile in each direction as crews worked on securing both vessels.
Environmental agencies brought pumps to immediately remove fuel, oil and other pollution risks from the boats.
“Whatever is coming off the tug and whatever is on that barge is concerning,” said Greaton.
The USCG monitored the vessels all day and continued to do so until the munitions on the barge were removed and taken to a safe location.
The U.S. Navy’s ordnance team responded to the location to make sure the munitions were secured.
Coast Guard officials emphasized that the residents that live near the area are safe.
Officials on Friday confirmed that the tugboat was no longer leaking fuel.
The grounding of both vessels remains under investigation.
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