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North Fort Myers park waters closed due to E.coli bacteria

Posted at 9:11 AM, Apr 28, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-28 09:11:51-04

NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A heads up again for Lee County boaters and anglers; the Florida Department of Health is once more asking you to avoid the water in North Shore Park.

They're specifically talking about what's often referred to as Yankee Beach, which is right below the U.S. 41 bridge in North Fort Myers.  The park is posted year-round as a non-swimming beach, but people are often seen wading in the waters.

Health officials say a routine water test Wednesday turned up an unsafe amount of Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacteria, and any contact may pose a high risk of disease or sickness.

Eschericia bacteria normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals. The presence of an elevated concentration of these bacteria is an indicator of pollution, which may come from storm water runoff, pets, wildlife or sewage.

This beach has faced numerous closures in recent years for similar bacteria break outs.

Water at the beach will be retested in coming days and results are expected Tuesday.

Count on Four In Your Corner to let you know when this advisory is lifted.