ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hurricane Ian's impact washed away many large objects across southwestern Florida through flooding and strong winds.
That's why the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has created a hotline for people to report misplaced boats found on any body of water across the state.
“We take this matter seriously and understand the hardship that Hurricane Ian has placed upon our residents,” Boating and Waterways Section Leader Maj. Rob Beaton said in a statement. “FWC officers are diligently working to determine the current number and ownership of storm-related displaced vessels across the state. We are committed to helping boat owners find their vessels and facilitate the removal of vessels from state waters that are posing a threat to the environment or blocking waterways.”
The agency said they recommend boat owners hire a salvage company to recover their vessel to keep their belonging and the environment safe. The removal of boats from waters that they are not supposed to be in can speed up the recovery and overall health of native marine plants and animals from areas impacted by the storm, according to FWC.
“These efforts will take time. While the majority of displaced vessels are in Charlotte, Collier and Lee counties, there are multiple counties affected on both coasts of the state,” Coast Guard Cdr. Melanie Burnham, incident commander for the Marine Environmental Response, said in a statement. “We appreciate the cooperation of the boating public during this unprecedented recovery effort.”
Owners of boats that are in poor condition have 45 days from the first day that the hurricane passed over southwestern Florida to remove their boats from any waters, FWC said.
'Owners of displaced vessels who lack the resources to have their boat repaired, or if their vessel is determined to be beyond repair, may release ownership of their vessel," the agency said in the news release.
To report a lost or damaged boat, you can reach the Hurricane Ian Vessel hotline at 850-488-5600. The hotline will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday through Friday. Callers will be asked to provide the boat's current location, detailed description and registration number, FWC said in a news release.
To learn more about the Hurricane Ian Vessel hotline, click here.
