Demolition Begins On House Swept Into Barnegat Bay

The Mantoloking house that was swept, intact, into Barnegat Bay and has since been wedged against an island will be gone by Friday afternoon, demolition experts said Thursday.

A crew from CrowderGulf, the contractor hired by the state Department of Environmental Protection to clear waterway debris from northern Barnegat Bay, began work to remove the two-story house Thursday.

State and local officials held a ceremony to mark the occasion.

The home, sitting in the water about 200 feet from the edge of the bay, is one of eight nearly intact homes that Sandy pushed into the water statewide. Two other virtually intact Mantoloking homes were swept into Barnegat Bay, while one home in Monmouth County's Union Beach was pushed into Raritan Bay. Four others in Cumberland County's Lawrence Township were washed into Delaware Bay virtually intact.

The Mantoloking home is owned by former Hoboken mayor David Roberts.

Buddy Young, operations manager for CrowderGulf, told Patch half of the home is completely submerged underwater, meaning crews will have to contend with not only a debris field, but fish and other creatures which may have gotten inside.

The company's crew is hosing the house down with water as demolition takes place in order to minimize dust particles from getting into the air, Young said, and has installed a boom around the house to ensure debris does not float away.

The demolished material from the house will be brought on barges to a local marina where it will then be transported to the Ocean County Landfill.

"Today, one of the unfortunate icons of Mantoloking and Superstorm Sandy is going to be dismantled," said Mantoloking Mayor George Nebel. "We cannot forget what happened to our community on Oct. 29.  But with the support of the State and the Federal Government, I know that Mantoloking is well on its way to recovery as we embark on an ambitious plan to protect our community from future disaster."

DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said waterway debris removal efforts are still underway.