‘I thought it was a piece of algae’: Lake Worth Beach swimmers report oily tar balls washing ashore
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LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. (WPBF) — Tar appears to be washing up on the shores of some South Florida beaches from Lake Worth Beach to Boynton Beach, and even as far south as Fort Lauderdale.
Mark Sanphy said he didn’t notice anything while swimming at Lake Worth Beach Saturday afternoon.
Sanphy mentioned he saw an oil stain on the bottom of his foot after he got out of the water to go and rinse off.
“I thought it was a piece of algae or something,” Sanphy said. “I couldn’t get it off.”
Boynton Beach Fire Rescue responded to reports of oil on its beach Saturday morning. They found tar balls from the inlet south to Oceanfront Park.
As a precaution, beaches in Fort Lauderdale were closed to swimmers from Port Everglades to Riomar Street.
City leaders later reopened the beach and issued a statement that, in part, reads:
“The U.S. Coast Guard has been notified and is leading the response, as the situation involves a potential oil spill.”
According to the Coast Guard, air and surface crews completed searches from Palm Beach to Port Everglades for the source of the tar balls. The source remains unknown. Further assessment will continue at first light with partnered agencies.
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