SARASOTA, Fla. — Update: The Sarasota County Health Department has lifted the 'no swim' advisory for Nokomis Beach and North Jetty Beach. Beach goers can once again swim.
There's a 'no swim' advisory in effect for Nokomis and North Jetty Beaches in Sarasota County. The water there tested positive for a potentially dangerous bacteria that can make you and your pets sick.
But even though the water was filled with enterococci, the beach was packed with sunbathers on Thursday.
“Enterococci is an indication of pollution in the water. It’s typically fecal pollution, coming from humans or pets," explained Steve Huard from the Florida Department of Health, Sarasota.
When bacteria levels are high, it’s recommended not to swim because the bacteria can get into your body through open cuts and sores.
Even swallowing just a bit of the water is enough to make you sick.
“It will give you a sour stomach. It will cause gastro-intestinal discomfort. It can cause diarrhea. In some cases if you have open wounds, on your skin. It can cause an infection on your skin," said Huard.
The bacteria outbreak didn't stop Sonja Banic and her daughter from swimming.
“We are Canadians and we have to go into the ocean when we’re here. We just have to go!” exclaimed Banic.
If you do decide to go swimming, there are some precautions you can take.
"If you have a day at the beach and you’ve been in the water, shower before you leave the beach. Or, at a minimum, when you get home, take that nice hot, soapy shower," said Huard.
This is the first time all year that Nokomis Beach has had an enterococci warning that requires a no-swim advisory.
“Nokomis Beach we really don’t see this too often. And quite frankly because of the front we had come through over the weekend, the excessive amount of the rain and the wind, you know it really churned up the surf," said Huard.
"And then we got all the runoff from the rain. So that’s really probably what this is caused from.”
The good news is, it shouldn’t last long.
"We’ll go out and we’ll resample on Monday. And so I’d expect by Tuesday, Wednesday we will be lifting the advisory completely," said Huard.
There are currently six beaches in Hillsborough county that also have no-swim advisories in effect:
- Bahia Beach
- Ben T. Davis North
- Cypress Point Park North
- Davis Island Beach
- Picnic Island North
- Simmons Park Beach
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