The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Cape Coral Police Department are investigating an abandoned boat at the Burnt Store Boat Ramp.
The CCPD said they were notified over the weekend that someone had dumped the boat there. On Monday, the FWC was also informed about the abandoned boat, which is when neighbors started noticing it as well.
"Monday morning when my neighbor notified me, asking about a boat that was sunk out there and if I knew anything about it," said Deanna Schroeder, a neighbor.
FWC says, unfortunately, abandoned boats continue to be documented by law enforcement on an ongoing basis. They cause the destruction of valuable seagrass resources, endanger marine life, and threaten human life, safety, and property as they drift on or beneath the surface of the water or block navigable waterways, posing a navigational hazard to the boating public.
"What concerns me is what might be leaking into the water around it," Schroeder said. "There's oils, gas, and I'm pretty sure if someone is just going to ditch a boat, they're not going to take the care that it needs to be stripped of those kinds of things. So that's concerning for the environment and the fish."
The FWC and CCPD are working together to identify the owner of the boat.
If you spot an abandoned boat, FWC urges you to contact them immediately.