Boat avoids sinking after hitting submerged buoy

Font: Regular Medium Large

Print Story

Email Story

Boat avoids sinking after hitting submerged buoy

By ELAINE ROSE Staff Writer, 609-272-7215

Published: Wednesday, May 07, 2008

ATLANTIC CITY - A Sea Tow rescue boat was forced to beach Tuesday night after it struck a submerged buoy in the Absecon Inlet near the Coast Guard station, State Marine Police said.

The boat struck the buoy at about 8 p.m., and the captain ran it onto the beach to avoid sinking, State Police said. The captain could not see the marker because it was under water. There were no injuries.

John McLaughlin, owner of Sea Tow, said Tuesday night that he has been complaining for a week about the submerged buoy, just east of the Brigantine bridge. The last call he made was 20 minutes before he dispatched Capt. Ed Smith to a rescue job Tuesday night.

"This was reported last week, and it should have been addressed immediately," McLaughlin said.

The buoy was circling in different directions, and Smith couldn't avoid it, McLaughlin said.

Smith noticed the buoy took out the lower unit on the boat, which then started to take on water, McLaughlin said.

"With his quick thinking, he got it on the beach," McLaughlin said. "He reacted perfectly."

McLaughlin said he dispatched another boat to the scene, and the State Marine Police put a marker on the buoy so it would be more visible.

As he was on the scene, McLaughlin said he saw two pleasure boats pass the submerged buoy. If a small boat with an inexperienced captain had struck the marker, the result could have been tragic, he said.

"We're going to fix our boat, and someone's going to pay for it," McLaughlin said.