Maryland, Delaware beaches on alert as hazardous materials wash ashore

Several popular beaches along the Maryland and Delaware coasts were closed to swimming after medical waste, including needles, washed ashore last week.

Swimming was prohibited at beaches that included Ocean City, Maryland, and Fenwick Island, Delaware, as well as state and federal beaches on Assateague Island, which is part of Maryland and Virginia.

In a social media post, the Town of Ocean City said last Sunday that the emergency services team is actively addressing the latest discovery of medical waste that washed up on the beach.

“To ensure the safety of all residents and visitors, Ocean City Beach Patrol has temporarily closed the ocean for swimming and we urge everyone to abide by this closure until further notice,” the post said.

Ocean City Emergency Services Director Joe Theobold stressed the seriousness of the situation, not only because of Sunday’s rough seas, but also because of the potential health concerns posed by the debris.

“We will work closely with the Worcester County Health Department and other public health authorities to investigate the source of the medical waste,” Theobold said in a prepared statement. “Until we are sure the situation is under control, we recommend wearing shoes on the beach and avoiding the ocean entirely.”

On Tuesday, Theobald announced that there was no medical waste on the beach in Ocean City after a high tide cleanup. Still, swimming access was closed and his department was working with the Health Department to conduct water tests in hopes of reopening before the weekend.

Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan’s office told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the swim was closed to swimmers due to rough surf conditions, limited lifeguards and out of abundance care as officials awaited test results. the water.

The mayor’s office added that it hopes to have the beaches reopened to swimmers by Friday.

The city said crews will continue to monitor the beach, remove debris and update the public as more information is received.

In the town of Fenwick Island, north of Ocean City, officials closed the beach to swimming because of the debris and asked anyone on the beach to wear shoes, noting that the debris included needles. As of Thursday, rough seas continued to pose a danger to swimmers, although officials had not updated the city’s social media channels to say whether medical waste remained a problem.

Fox News Digital reached out to Fenwick Island’s city manager several times about the swimming closure and did not receive a response on the matter.

To the south, on Assateague Island, state and federal officials closed the beach for the same reason.

Assateague Island National Seashore announced the immediate closure, stating that the north end of the island and all beaches on the Maryland side are closed to swimming. Beaches on Assateague Island on the Virginia side were also closed to swimming and walking.

Maryland State Parks announced its closure on social media as well.

“Assateague State Park, along with other beaches along the Maryland coast, is experiencing a significant amount of medical waste washing ashore,” the State Park Department said. “Access to the ocean will be restricted at this time. No swimming, walking, surfing or any ocean activity is allowed. Visitors to the beach should wear shoes and be very careful.”