FORT MYERS, Fla. — 21 days after Hurricane Ian, boats still decorate the edge of downtown Fort Myers on West First Street.
“I see what I think is a Marlo or an Ocean Alexander back there and it has to be a few million dollars. And the guy has to be… I can’t imagine what he is going through," said Chance Friedman, a visitor from Tampa.
That was Friedman's reaction after seeing the boats that were tossed on land like toys for the very first time.
“I kind of have a feeling it’s going to sit here for a while until they figure it out," said Fort Myers resident Ari Knepel. “The insurance company has to do their job, the city has to do their job, but to be honest I do have great faith in the leadership here.”
In a previous interview, Mayor Kevin Anderson did speak about the challenges the city are faced with.
“We are faced with something we haven’t been faced with and that is the boats,” Mayor Anderson said at the time.
That boat cleanup challenge on Mayor Kevin Anderson's mind, at that time the mayor said the city reached out to different organizations.
“Like the Southwest Florida Marine Industry Associations, they are going to give us some guidance and direction,” Mayor Anderson said.
We reached out to the city's spokeswoman for an update on the progress and process of the cleanup, however she wasn't available for an interview. She said the process of the cleanup is extremely complicated and she needed more time to answer the questions.
She said she would be able to explain the process on Thursday.
