Fort Lauderdale, Florida –
An unsettling, cautionary tale of what pollution and poor water management can result in.
Ft. Lauderdale has been hit with a bout of water main breaks in recent weeks, causing flooding in the streets and pollution in the local waterways. Some of the raw sewage from the latest break was pumped into the New River instead of being vacuumed up and taken to a treatment plant. And, this latest break has made us think twice before we wet wade again.
John Tedder was catching bait in the New River, as he usually does, before heading out on a Christmas Day fishing trip. He waded in the water, unaware that raw sewage from recent water main breaks in the city was flowing past his feet. It only took hours for a red infection on his leg to break out, resulting in sickness and severe swelling in his lower leg.
“I knew by 2 AM on the 26th,” Tedder told Local10 News, “I couldn’t stand on my left leg, it was swollen all the way to my kneecap.”
Luckily, Tedder got himself to the hospital shortly after symptoms of the infection began to show themselves and is expected to make a full recovery.
So, the next time you think about ditching the waders for a pair of wet wading socks, maybe check the news or your local water authority to check for any pollutants, local water main breaks or infectious viruses in the water.
