Trampoline and more submerged in Cape Coral canal

Neighbors on Southeast 26th Terrace in Cape Coral are tired of seeing a trampoline and downed trees in a canal and want the city to do something.

Wind may have helped some of the debris move into the water since the hurricane. Cape Coral believes most debris has been moved, but neighbors along Southeast 26th Terrace think differently because they’ve seen the trampoline for months.

“We love the water, love boating, and nobody is getting that stuff out of the water for us,” Carlos Ward said.

“Didn’t surprise me it was there, but I thought they’d have it out much sooner,” Randy Anderson said.

Ward has lived on the canal for the last 10 years. Ward and his neighbors have been cleaning it for the last eight months. Ward explained some of the alarming encounters his neighbors have had.

“One of my neighbors at the other end down here, he hit a refrigerator. I was like, a refrigerator? In the water? He said didn’t even see it,” Ward said.

Ward’s neighbors have seen a lot in the canal, from trees to patio furniture. Ward’s decision to play it safe led him to keep his boat parked until the canal got cleaned up.

“A lot of us used to go out late in the afternoon because the fishing is better at night offshore. We don’t chance it now because you don’t know what you’re going to hit,” Ward said. “It would be like winning the lottery to get this stuff out of here.”

Cape Coral said about 10% of freshwater canals in the city need to be cleaned. The city expects the work to be finished by June 30. If you have any debris in a canal, call 311 and give them the location.