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More dead fish wash up on Treasure Coast beaches

Posted at 8:58 AM, Oct 24, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-24 08:58:58-04

Larry Pinto moved to Florida just days ago. "We moved from Akron, Ohio down here to Florida to Vero Beach."

The calming sound of the ocean is what he and other beach visitors look forward to. But at Pepper Beach Park, you see dead fish and the beach is closed.

Many beachgoers reported having a hard time breathing. Experts says it's likely due red tide.

Pinto says he limits his time outside near the beach. "It was very powerful doing a lot of coughing a lot of coughing. In fact, you can hear it in my voice now, it's breaking up a little bit."

The beach closed on Monday. On Tuesday even more dead fish washed ashore. "Yesterday we went to a restaurant that was on the beach and as soon as we stepped out of the car, out of the air conditioning we started coughing. All of us, the four of us, until we got into the air conditioner," said Pinto.

There were lifeguards in sight and none on the beach. Just visitors hoping to walk along the sand again soon.

"Little disappointed that I can't go down to the beach, because I don't get to see it much where I'm from, but that aside if that's the worst part of the trip,  I can live with that," beach visitor Nick Pinto said.

Officials plan to start removing the dead fish on Wednesday.