Signs for bacteria contamination at Bonita Beach Park taken down

A beach’s water, which was once filled with bacteria from human and animal feces, may be getting safer to swim in, as signs of the warning were just taken down. People were seen swimming in the water at Bonita Beach Park on Tuesday.

Last week, Lee County’s Department of Health found high bacteria levels at the park.

That’s when signs around the park warned visitors and recommended they avoid swimming in or ingesting the water.

“This is one of our favorite beaches,” said Diane Eichler.

Plenty of people were swimming, floating and enjoying water sports at the beach. Although, merely a few steps back from the water, a sign from Florida’s DOH was up warning of the bacteria levels. Nevertheless, some people weren’t fazed since they are used to health advisory signs at Bonita Beach Park.

“It’s normal. We’ve had so much red tide over the years, but we only went up to our knees. That’s it. No more, but at least it’s clear,” said Eichler.

Eichler was happy to be able to see her toes. Meanwhile, it doesn’t bother Candie Huston, a visitor from Ohio, at all.

“I’ve been in the water, was in the water today and yesterday, and I’m still alive, so it’s all good,” said Huston. “If something’s gonna get me. It might as well be fecal matter.”

Michael Gordon and his family, visiting from Pennsylvania, are not too worried about the bacteria.

“You probably should be concerned about but our one or two days here probably isn’t going to make that much of a difference,” said Gordon.

The risk paid off. While the official test results are not out yet and Lee County DOH has yet to get back to WINK News, around 1 p.m. trucks took down the sign at Bonita Beach Park.

A health advisory is not exactly rare at Bonita Beach Park. For example, Florida’s DOH issued an advisory in July 2022