FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Lifeguards on Fort Lauderdale Beach spotted an unusual substance washing ashore.
From Las Olas Boulevard to Sunrise Boulevard, an unknown substance, that may be a cooking oil discarded from a vessel out in the water, could be seen in the sand, Thursday morning.
“Our lifeguards noticed that there was a different substance washing up on the beach than normal,” said Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Steve Gollan. “It’s an oily-type substance and so they alerted us. We then contacted the United States Coast Guard and initiated our protocols to notify the National Response Team.”
The washed up dime-sized particles seem to be clumped with palm oil.
Although the masses do not seem to be harmful to humans, they may pose a danger to animals like a dog if they are ingested.
“We’re rather confident that it will have no impact at all to the environment or the shoreline here in Fort Lauderdale,” Gollan said.
Dr. Kelli Marlar owns Southport Animal Hospital, and she said the tiny chunks are more dangerous to smaller dogs.
“Palm oil is kind of like a semi-solid state, so it can cause GI [gastrointestinal] obstructions at times, and that requires surgery to relieve the obstruction,” she said.
Chances are the masses will melt and seep into the sand before it washes away, but the substance will be tested at a laboratory as a precaution.
“Our beach is one of our more valuable assets here in Fort Lauderdale, so we want to make sure it’s protected,” Gollan said. “Anytime we see anything out of the normal like this, we immediately call the resources.”
Officials can expect to receive the lab results by Friday morning.
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