JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Coast Guard, along with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, are set to conduct patrols, Sunday, throughout the Intercoastal Waterway in the vicinity of Palm Valley, Florida, in conjunction with the planned Valley Palooza event.
This is the first year for the Valley Palooza event that involves participants aboard inflatable rafts in the Intercoastal Waterway.
During the event, Coast Guardsmen from Station Mayport will join members of FWC and St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and conduct patrols throughout the area. The purpose of the patrols is to ensure safety for those attending. The ICW is a heavily-used waterway and the presence of small rafts could pose a danger to those in them and to boaters transiting the area. Boaters should exercise caution while transiting the ICW in the vicinity of Palm Valley from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Officers with the Coast Guard, FWC and St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office will be looking for boaters who are intoxicated and operating their vessels recklessly on the waterways. Boaters are advised to have a designated boat operator if they plan to consume alcohol while out on the water.
For more information on the FWC’s role in Valley Palooza, contact: 352-620-7335.
For more information on the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office role, contact: 904-209-1550.
For more information contact the Coast Guard 7th District Public Affairs Detachment Jacksonville at 305-318-1864.
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