FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — More than two months after Hurricane Ian's landfall in Southwest Florida, and recovery efforts continue.
One of the largest tasks is the removal of hundreds of displaced and derelict boats, many of which can still be found along the Lee County coastlines.
"The first month or so we assessed about 4,000 vessels, approximately 700 of which are derelict," said Capt. Travis Franklin with Florida Fish & Wildlife. "Of that number, about 300 have been removed."
Franklin has been overseeing operations to collect and reunite boats with their owners. While smaller numbers of vessels are also reported in Brevard County and the Florida Keys, the majority are in hard-hit Lee County.
"We have a fourth wave of 15 officers, and this group will rotate out next week," said Franklin. "We have teams already built out until the end of 2022 and we have teams set for 2023."
So how does this small team take on such a huge undertaking? The first step is determining what makes a boat derelict.
"It's either wrecked, junked, or substantially dismantled," the captain defined.
The FWC team makes that determination based on visual observations made as they run on the water, searching for lonely boats, and surveying them to see if they've taken on water or are missing substantial parts.
"There's software that officers have on their smartphone that marks a point and feeds a database," explained Capt. Franklin. "We run the Florida numbers, locate the owner ... and say 'we found your boat, this is where it is."
Vessel owners then have two options: if in working condition, they can claim their boat; if not, they can waive rights to the vessel. The Florida Department of Emergency Management can then remove it.
If a boat has been deemed derelict but the owner disputes it, there is an option.
"We give them a 'Notification of Rights' package which explains they are to request an administrative hearing," said Franklin. "If they don't contest it or the hearing officer finds that it is derelict, then the vessel is eligible for removal."
It's work that continues to pile up. After Hurricane Irma, Franklin said it took more than six months to clear the waters. For Ian, they plan to stay as long as needed.
"It depends on how quickly we can get the boats removed," he said. "It's a large project and we are here until the job is done."
If you still have a displaced boat and are in need of assistance, call the Boating and Waterways Hurricane Ian hotline at 1-850-488-5600.
This report originally aired on Fox 4 sister channel Florida 24 Network. You can watch FL24 for free anytime by clicking here.
