Coast Guard rescues 7 people from disabled tug boat off of Ocean City

The Coast Guard rescued seven people Saturday from a disabled, adrift tug towing a barge 30 miles offshore from Ocean City.

A crew member aboard the tug Legacy notified watch standers at Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capital Region at about 3:30 a.m. Saturday that while towing a 290-foot barge from New Jersey, to Guyana, a 1,000-foot towing line became entangled and fouled their starboard propeller.

The vessel continued to make way on one engine when the tow line snapped. The crew tried to regain tow of the barge, at which time the line became tangled in the port propeller, immobilizing the vessel.

The tug’s crew member said Legacy was inoperable and that the crew was making preparations to abandon ship.

The 154-foot Coast Guard Cutter Lawrence Lawson, homeported in Cape May, New Jersey, was already underway and diverted to the incident to help.

Once on scene, the cutter’s crew was unable to get near the disabled tug or barge due to on scene weather and concern that the loose tow line beneath the water’s surface would foul the Coast Guard cutter’s propellers. The Lawrence Lawson maintained station and provided critical assistance to responding units and ensured safety of the seven crew members.