Several popular beaches along the Maryland and Delaware coast were forced to close to swimming due to medical waste, including needles, washing ashore. The beaches affected included Ocean City, Maryland, and Fenwick Island, Delaware, as well as state and federal beaches on Assateague Island. The Town of Ocean City issued a social media post urging residents and visitors to refrain from swimming until further notice to ensure safety. Emergency Services Director Joe Theobold emphasized the seriousness of the situation, citing both rough seas and health concerns posed by the waste.
After a post-high tide cleanup, Theobold confirmed that there was no medical waste on the beach in Ocean City, but swimming access remained closed. The department was working with the Health Department to conduct water tests in the hopes of reopening before the weekend. Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan’s office explained that swimming closures were due to rough surf conditions, limited lifeguards, and an abundance of caution as officials awaited water test results. The hope was to reopen beaches to swimmers by Friday, with ongoing monitoring, debris removal, and public updates as more information became available.
In the town of Fenwick Island, officials also closed the beach to swimming due to medical waste, particularly needles, washing ashore. Rough seas persisted as a hazard for swimmers, although it was unclear if medical waste remained an issue as of Thursday. The Fenwick Island town manager did not respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital regarding the swimming closure. Further south, on Assateague Island, beaches were closed on both the Maryland and Virginia sides due to the presence of medical waste, prompting immediate closures by state and federal officials.
Assateague Island National Seashore and Maryland State Parks announced the closures on social media, emphasizing the significant amount of medical waste washing ashore and restricting access to the ocean for activities such as swimming, wading, and surfing. Visitors were urged to wear shoes and exercise caution. The closures highlighted the potential health risks posed by the medical waste, requiring collaboration between emergency services, health departments, and public health authorities to investigate the source and ensure that the situation was under control before reopening beaches to the public.
