The barge was going to be used to launch fireworks for the Lambertville-New Hope 1st Fridays fireworks show June 3.
NEW HOPE, Pa. -- A barge that drifted into the middle of the Delaware River Sunday and got stuck on the Lambertville Wing Dam was apparently cut loose on purpose, police said Tuesday.
The barge, owned by Tony Demusz, was going to be used to launch fireworks for the Lambertville-New Hope 1st Fridays fireworks show Friday night, June 3, police said.
The Delaware River Towns Chamber of Commerce, which puts on the show, said the fireworks will go on Friday and they are offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
The New Hope Police Department said in a statement Tuesday evening that the barge had been secured Saturday behind at South Main Street house. It was not visible from the street.
Fireworks explode over the Delaware River between Lambertville, New Jersey and New Hope. File photo. It was last seen at 12 a.m. Sunday, secured to a tree with a chain and padlock, police said.
At some point, the barge drifted into the river, through the dam opening to the south and became lodged on the rocks about 20 feet below the dam, police said.
A police investigation found the chain was intact but the lock was missing, and police found footprints in the mud coming out of the river.
The barge has since taken on water and the owner is attempting to recover it from the river, police said.
"The barge was private property and we take this criminal act seriously," New Hope police said in a statement.
"While criminals may have destroyed our fireworks barge, they have not diminished our excitement or our commitment to our downtowns, the chamber said in a Facebook post.
Firefighters spent Sunday assisting in the barge's recovery.
A similar incident occurred in May 2012 to a barge that was going to be used in the same fireworks display.
In that incident, someone cut the ropes securing a barge docked at the end of Coryell and Waterloo streets. It floated over the wing dam and became lodged on rocks in the middle of the river across from the Waterworks condos.
The chamber of commerce also offered a $1,000 reward for information leading at an arrest after that incident as well.
Anyone with information about the barge is asked to call the New Hope Police Department at 215-862 3033 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or the police dispatch number at 215-345-7400 during all other hours and days.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.