PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Derelict boats can be found throughout Pinellas County waterways and the entire Tampa Bay area.
Officials with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office announced on Monday they will remove 32 boats from the water. The company doing the dirty work is Divecom.
An official with Divecom calls this a "big operation." There will be divers and barges brought in to help assist with the removals. Divecom officials said in Madeira Beach there's a spot called "Hurricane Hole" where many derelict boats sit. That is located next to the Madeira Beach Marina. On Monday, Divecom crews will be in that area with the sheriff's office removing at least six boats.
The danger with derelict boats is some have sunk and boaters can't see them.
The other danger is to our environment, county leaders say. Divecom officials need to make sure there are no chemicals leaking into the water.
Divecom officials explained this has been a problem for years. 10 Tampa Bay has been covering this issue in those years.
Pinellas County boaters are happy the sheriff's office is taking action, even at their own cost.
The Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri stated for a 25-foot boat, it will cost $5,000 from the general fund. That fund is taxpayer money.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission keeps track of derelict boats throughout the state. Many are on the verge of becoming derelict. The sheriff explained before a boat is removed, a person is given a 21-day notice. That gives them the option to have a hearing. If no action is taken, the boat can be removed after 21 days. The sheriff said the next step in this operation is to investigate the soon-to-be derelict boats.
Another part of this operation is looking into people illegally living on boats and illegal mooring fields.