Teens illegally jumping off Fort Myers Beach pier

CREATED Sep. 3, 2012

  • Print
  • Teens illegally jump of Fort Myers Beach pier Video by fox4now.com

    video

FORT MYERS BEACH - Despite warning signs, teenagers illegally jumped off the Fort Myers Beach pier Sunday for several hours  - and nobody told them to stop.

YouTube video shows college kids jumping of the pier. Despite posted signs, Fox 4 saw kids doing that for hours Sunday.

One resident says he called the sheriff's non-emergency line to report the behavior but nobody showed up.

"That shouldn't happen," said Dave Harner with Lee County Parks and Recreation. "Our staff is required to go in and stop anybody doing any activities that are against our policies."

Parks and Recreation owns the pier and says jumping off it is reckless and against the law.

"It's very dangerous," said Harner. "And that's why we police it and don't allow it."

But the fact it's not allowed makes it more exciting to people like Anthony Acevedo who admits he's jumped at least twice.

"It's just a risk you gotta take," said Acevedo.

"Is it worth the risk?," asked Fox 4 reporter Matt Grant.

"It's a thriller," said Acevedo. "So I would say so."

It's a thrill Justin Goodman, 18, says almost got him injured.

"I landed on my butt though cause it's like six feet [deep]," said Goodman. 

"Do you worry you could have gotten hurt?," asked Grant.

"Yeah," said Goodman, "I realized that afterwards."

"Kids find it cool, I don't find it fun," said Amber Hibbert. "I think it's dumb."

Deputies on the beach say jumping off the pier is a misdemeanor that could land you in court.

"Of course we're concerned about kids jumping off the pier," said town manager Terry Stewart. "We think that it's dangerous and we'll have to make sure that it doesn't happen. We don't want anybody to be hurt visiting Fort Myers Beach."

Parks and Recreation says they would like the sheriff's office to consider reopening a substation on the beach if it's financially feasible.

Matt Grant
mgrant@fox4now.com