Putnam County residents concerned about plastic looking film covering local lake

Duane Cauble has been fishing in Putnam County for decades.

He said he noticed something different while out on Lake George, Monday.

Cauble described, “I saw all the floating debris it looked like plastic in the water and it concerned me.”

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Cauble took pictures of what he said appeared on almost 100 acres of the lake.

He sent the photos to Action News Jax.

Tuesday, Action News Jax reporter Beth Rousseau went out on Cauble’s boat and saw the material.

“I was concerned for people’s health people boating, people swimming and people fishing and eating the fish,” Cauble explained.

The fisherman knows the dangers of contaminated water and wanted to make sure that wasn’t what the substance is on Lake George.

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He said, “I had a friend of mine who got some crab during red tide -- someone sold him, and he lost his life over it.”

Rousseau sent pictures to the St. Johns Riverkeeper who forwarded them to the St.Johns River Water Management District.

A spokesperson said several scientists weren’t able to identify what the material was based on photos.

Rousseau also passed the pictures along to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

A representative for the commission said the Department of Environmental Protection is investigating the blooms.

Cauble said, “There are millions and millions of dollars spent in this area for bass fishing and people eat crabs out of here --  there are a lot of things that are a concern.”

According to Cauble, the material seemed to be moving up the river toward Jacksonville.

“I think that as a safety issue we’d at least like to know what it is,” he said.

Families said the mystery substance Action News Jax first showed you Tuesday is moving up the St.Johns River closer to Putnam County homes.

Vickie Boyle said she had to toss the crabs she caught off her dock back into the water because of the material floating on the surface.

She explained, “I’ve never seen it like that and I’m not going to take the chance of getting sick.”

Cox Media Group