MIAMI — The Coast Guard has made a change in the Fort Pierce Inlet safety zone Saturday afternoon.
Recreational and commercial vessels with less than 25-foot draft are now allowed to transit through the Fort Pierce Inlet safety zone.
All other persons and vessels are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within any of the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Miami or a designated representative.
The safety zone is located at the entrance of Fort Pierce Inlet and was established Wednesday to protect the public from hazards associated with a sunken barge.
"I am pleased with the progress that we have had with our partner agencies in reopening the inlet and though there is still work to be done, I feel it is safe to allow more traffic through," said Capt. Austin Gould, commander of Coast Guard Sector Miami. "I still want to remind boaters to use extreme caution when transiting the inlet to ensure safe passage for all."
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be on scene lighting buoys that mark the debris field. Until the buoys are lit, there will be a Coast Guard boat on scene ensuring boaters navigate safely through the inlet. As progress is made, the Coast Guard will continue to loosen restrictions and allow more traffic to flow through the inlet.
For more information on the closure please click: http://d7.uscgnews.com/go/doc/4007/2468242/