Posted on April 14, 2025
A dredge pipe leak has created a large hole in the middle of Fort Myers Beach near Times Square in Lynn Hall Park.
Crews are currently working to fill the hole with sand Thursday afternoon.
WINK News was on the scene, capturing the ongoing efforts to address the issue. Although no one was injured, the unexpected event has drawn significant attention.
Brad Breeden, a visitor to Fort Myers Beach, witnessed the incident.
“Never here, and then some guy walked up and said, ‘Hey, look behind you.’ And then a river of water was coming just out of a hole in the middle of the sand,” said Breeden. “Yeah, have you ever seen anything like that before? Nope. Was it really random? Pretty random. Yeah, we’ve been here a bunch, so never experienced it.”
The leak occurred at around 2 p.m., and three hours later, crews were still working to cover the hole. A dredge pipe leak is believed to have caused the crater in the sand.
Authorities are investigating how the break happened and when the area will be safe again for beachgoers. The public is advised to stay clear of the caution-taped area until further notice.
Chadd Chustz, an environmental project manager, explained the potential dangers of the hole.
“You can sink pretty deep pretty quick and you just want to avoid that area while the equipment is on route and over their repairing the pipe,” said Chustz.
Beachgoers were urged to be aware of the area and avoid it as machinery surrounds the site.
On Friday, crews from the Town of Fort Myers Beach repaired the leaking dredge pipe and filled in the hole that was created.
