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Tugboat and barge that washed ashore in South Florida removed from beach

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. — A tugboat and barge that washed up on a South Florida beach have been removed.

The city of Boca Raton tweeted that the previously closed section of the beach between Osceola Drive and the Kirk Cottrell Pavilion is now open.

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According to the United State Coast Guard Southeast, the tug is off the beach and is being towed to Port Everglades for inspection and repairs. No pollution was reported.

A barge and a tugboat ran aground Thursday night at Deerfield Beach, just south of the Boca Raton Inlet, the U.S. Coast Guard posted on its official Twitter account. Four people were aboard the vessels, and no injuries were reported.

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Those responsible for the boats remained at the scene and were working with the Coast Guard and other agencies, officials said. Shoreside operations began Friday morning to remove fuel and oil and to mitigate the pollution risk to the area. There weren’t any immediate signs of pollution near the site.

Security zones of 1,000 feet (305 meters) on the beach and 3,000 feet (915 meters) on the ocean were set around the boats. Officials said mariners and beachgoers should avoid the area.

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The cause of the grounding was under investigation.

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