A barge, belonging to Ashton Marine out of Muskegon, Michigan, ran aground early Wednesday. It got stuck in the sand, about 10 feet offshore from a beach on the western side of Van Buren Point.

About a dozen curious morning strollers and dog-walkers gazed at the ship about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, as it bobbed gently in the waves.

A tugboat ran in circles perhaps 150 yards away, as workers apparently tried to figure out what to do next.

Ed Wilson, a Van Buren resident, told the OBSERVER, “Sometime during the middle of the night, a barge tore away from the boat carrying it.”

Curious people stare Wednesday morning at a barge that ran aground at Van Buren Point overnight. Photo by MJ Stafford

A public information officer for the Coast Guard, Lt. Will Kelley, confirmed that later Wednesday morning. He said a tugboat was towing two barges from Erie, Pa. to Buffalo when one of them got loose about midnight Wednesday. “As far as recovery efforts go, the barge doesn’t appear to be damaged,” he said.

It is empty, and normally carries scrap metal or rock. There’s no environmental pollution hazard from the barge, Kelley said.

Continued choppy water proved to be an issue in the recovery efforts. While Tuesday’s storms gave way to a sunny Wednesday, it was still very breezy and numerous white capped waves were visible on the lake.

Kelley said waves of four to six feet were reported on the water, making it treacherous for small boats, such as the ones that will drag the barge off the beach. The waves are expected to ease today.

“As conditions get better, more efforts will be made,” he said. Ashton Marine, as the barge’s owner, is responsible for its removal.

Wilson said, “I don’t think folks at Van Buren Point have seen anything like this in their lifetimes.”