Crews work to free tugboat trapped on Chicago lakefront

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A crew from a local salvage company boarded a commercial tugboat to make her float once again. The Kimberly Selvick started taking on water after it got stuck on the lakefront.

"The seas became too rough to work," tugboat lessee Mike Luhr said. "We were trying to get into safe harbor and it got too bad. The boat, actually, was picked up and slammed down on a rock close to the shoreline here and punctured the hull."

The tugboat lost an engine and then lost control of two barges it was moving from Montrose Harbor to the Calumet River shipyard just before 5 p.m. on Monday.

The Chicago Fire Department rescued the four-member crew as joggers watched from the lakefront path. A statement from the U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday that no injuries were reported.

Windy and choppy conditions prevented crews from salvaging the boat Monday night, which ultimately came to rest in shallow waters near 43rd Street.

The Kimberly Selvick has a maximum capacity of 1,400 gallons of fuel. The Chicago Fire Department did an aerial search and said there is no evidence of any fuel leak. The Coast Guard's statement confirmed Tuesday that there were no signs of pollution.

A team of workers pumped out as much water as they could on Tuesday. They'll try to bring her up to the surface and tow her away for repairs.

"That would be the simplest way to do it, if we can pump out the water and keep the pumps on board," U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Nathan Scott said. "Keep the boat off the ground safely."

The barges were cleared away on Monday. It could take more than a day to salvage the tugboat.