A sinking abandoned boat full of rusty junk is creating a dangerous obstacle course for boaters in Lochmoor Waterway Estates in North Fort Myers.
Some neighbors living on the canal near Whitecap Circle say the corroded vessel is preventing them from being able to take their boats out.
There's a lot of concern about the decaying vessel polluting the waterways there, as neighbors say the boat has been leaking gas and debris since it was abandoned around five months ago.
Many have called FWC and the county, but the boat hasn't budged, except for moving around from storms.
People who live on Whitecap Circle say there was someone living on the boat, but they disappeared before it started to sink.
"Whatever they were doing with that boat, it had all kinds of junk in there," said Jim Vani, who lives in Lochmoor Waterway Estates. "Bicycles, rafts, I mean everything you could think of."
"There’s probably 200 gallons of gas on that boat, and it’s all going in the river," said Jake Elleson, another resident. "I know that we have the resources. We got to get it out faster than that."
ABC7 looked into the issue and found out that the owner of the sinking boat is facing criminal charges. FWC confirmed the boat is in the removal process and right now they are working with the county to hire marine contractors to remove it.
"It’s the only way that we can get out of this canal," said Vani. "So it makes it a little bit dangerous because of the rocks you can’t see."
You can count on ABC7 to check back in with authorities about the vessel.
You can read more from FWC's response below:
"The derelict vessel adjudication and removal process can include multiple court hearings and court orders in order to remove a vessel from state waters. Each derelict vessel owner must also be afforded the opportunity for an administrative hearing by the law enforcement agency investigating the case as well as potential criminal proceedings, before the vessels may be authorized for removal.
"The FWC makes every effort to work with the vessel owners to have them either remove the vessel from state waters themselves or return it to non-derelict status to minimize the cost to taxpayers. With all of that in mind, it can vary greatly with each vessel."