A tugboat and barge carrying equipment to a New Jersey dredging job ran aground on the beach near Atlantic City Saturday, but with only minor damage and no pollution incidents, the Coast Guard said.

The 86’x26’x9’ 3,600-hp Miss Katie, owned by Marquette Transportation Company, Paducah, Ky., was on its way out of Absecon Inlet, heading to a job site a few miles south at Great Egg Harbor Inlet, when the tug apparently lost power, according to the Coast Guard.

The Miss Katie wound up beached at Brigantine, on the north side of the inlet, and the 135’ barge with crane grounded up alongside the inlet’s north jetty, with the tow still attached. Commercial salvage workers and the Coast Guard freed the tug and barge on Sunday.

In a statement Lt. (j.g.) Terry Plank, the on-scene coordinator for Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay's Incident Management Division, said the operation was a success: “No injuries occurred, and no discharge of fuel or oil was observed during this incident. The local police and contractors played a significant role in the overall success of the operation, and we are thankful to all crews involved."

Like other inlets along the New Jersey barrier beaches, Absecon is known for steep ground swells and strong currents when wind and tides are running. Its small, deep harbor, within a few blocks of Atlantic City casinos, is home port for surf clam vessels and used as a base for marine construction work in the area.