SEASIDE HEIGHTS – There was chaos off the coast of Seaside Heights on Labor Day afternoon after a suction pipe aboard a dredging barge, burst. Three people suffered injuries as a result.
The incident was first reported by Ocean County Scanner News.
Initial news reports from various Ocean County media outlets said an explosion occurred, although authorities have confirmed that wasn’t the case. However, according to some eyewitnesses on Twitter, they said they thought something exploded due to the loud noise.
The dredge barge was located off the coast of Grant Avenue, according to Seaside Heights Police Chief Thomas Boyd.
According to Seaside Police, three men all suffered non life threatening injuries and were transferred to the Manasquan Inlet’s Coast Guard Station in Point Pleasant Beach.
The crew were working on the rear of the dredge when the 16 inch pipe burst.
Boyd says “at this point, there’s no word on what caused the suction pipe to burst and a full investigation is underway and the Coast Guard will be handling it.”
Several units responded to the scene.
The US Army Corp of Engineer’s dredging project has been underway all summer long in an effort to protect the beaches from another Superstorm Sandy type storm.
