Commercial Fishing Boat Grounds in Point Pleasant Beach, Efforts Underway to Refloat

The crew of a 77-foot fishing vessel, reportedly homeported in Rhode Island, escaped the wrecked boat after jumping over the gunwales and diving into the ocean early Friday. Luckily, the boat had grounded just feet from the shore, south of the Manasquan Inlet, presumably its destination. A video showing the grounded vessel from all angles is embedded above. (Note: some ad blocking software may interefere with the video player.)

A group of Good Samaritans, consisting of surf anglers who happened to be on the beach, as well as firefighters, local Coast Guardsmen and police officers who they called, helped the four-man crew through the five-foot waves and onto the beach. Police said the crew of the vessel, known as the Susan Rose, were treated for minor injuries at the scene but did not require any significant assistance. The rescue played out around 5 a.m. Friday and the boat has been grounded just south of the Jenkinson’s North beach all day, attracting dozens of onlookers at a time, as well as a number of media outlets.

A 77-foot commercial fishing vessel runs aground in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., Nov. 17, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

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A 77-foot commercial fishing vessel runs aground in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., Nov. 17, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

A 77-foot commercial fishing vessel runs aground in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., Nov. 17, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

A 77-foot commercial fishing vessel runs aground in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., Nov. 17, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

A statement from Massachusetts State Police last year, reporting on a separate incident in which a crew member fell overboard, described the vessel as a squid-fishing boat based out of Point Judith, R.I.

By 5 p.m. Friday, crews from TowBoatUS as well as industrial salvage operators were on the scene, with police beginning to block off access to the east end of Broadway in Point Pleasant Beach as heavy equipment began to be moved to the scene. Trucks could be seen bringing flotation equipment, hydraulic equipment and heavy generators to the scene in what will likely be an attempt to re-float the vessel and ultimately tow it into Manasquan Inlet.

A 77-foot commercial fishing vessel runs aground in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., Nov. 17, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

A 77-foot commercial fishing vessel runs aground in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., Nov. 17, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

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A 77-foot commercial fishing vessel runs aground in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., Nov. 17, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

A 77-foot commercial fishing vessel runs aground in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., Nov. 17, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

A 77-foot commercial fishing vessel runs aground in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., Nov. 17, 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

Officials have not yet issued any statements as to what caused the vessel to veer off course and miss the inlet.