Fishing Vessel Capsizes
The 70-foot scallop fishing vessel Atlantic Traveler capsized in pre-dawn hours at the entrance to the Manasquan Inlet, New Jersey. The vessel were heading out to sea when a hydraulic hose broke causing the vessel to lose power and steering. Adding to the difficulty, there were 10 foot waves rolling into the Inlet. The crew sent out a request for assistance, and luckily for the crew, the Coast Guard station was a few hundred feet away. The Coast Guard sent out its motorized lifeboat and a tried to tow the Atlantic Traveler back into the inlet. However, the Atlantic Traveler struck the south jetty causing the tow line to snap. Then, the Atlantic Traveler lost stability between the waves and the jetty and capsized sending the 3 men on board into the cold water. The Coast Guard quickly picked up the 3 men out of the water. There were no injuries. However, 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel was reported to be released into the water.
