ANNA MARIA – Sgt. Brett Getman, leader of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Anna Maria Unit, received the deputy of the month award for his role in the recent rescue of two swimmers at Bean Point. His actions also earned him an MCSO Life Saving Award.
An Oct. 10 media release issued by the sheriff’s office details the rescue efforts.
“On Aug. 9, Sergeant Brett Getman and Deputy Vincent Bowman were conducting a beach patrol when they were suddenly flagged down to assist two individuals who were being swept away by the strong current and clearly in distress. Sergeant Getman saw two men struggling against the current, 100 yards or more from the shore. Recognizing their immediate danger, Sergeant Getman promptly advised dispatch to contact the Marine Unit, the Coast Guard and Beach Patrol,” the media release says.
“Understanding the risk of drowning they faced, he removed his gear and entered the water while Deputy Bowman stayed on the shore as a spotter. Sergeant Getman swam out to one of the men, directing him to hold onto the float while keeping him alert. Together, they managed to swim back to the shore. When they reached the shore, Beach Patrol arrived and Sergeant Getman instructed them to take their board and assist the other individual who was still in the water trying to stay afloat. Ultimately, the second individual was rescued by Beach Patrol and the MCSO Marine Unit transported him to a nearby marina, where EMS met them. Both individuals were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment,” according to the media release. “In acknowledgment of his quick thinking, decisive actions and willingness to risk his own life to save another, Sergeant Brett Getman has been named MCSO’s Deputy of the Month for September 2025.”
The Aug. 9 events and a fatal Bean Point drowning later that month were among the recent swimming-related incidents that led Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short and the city commission to enact a short-lived no swimming zone at Bean Point. Due to enforcement concerns, the ‘no swim’ zone was discontinued. Signs placed along the Bean Point shoreline now warn swimmers of the dangerous currents and inform them that they swim at their own risk with no lifeguards present.
ANNA MARIA – The “No Swimming, Dangerous Currents” signs recently installed at Bean Point have been replaced by new signs that say, “Warning. Dangerous Currents. Swim at Your Own Risk. No Lifeguards.”
The new signs coincide with Anna Maria city officials discontinuing their recent efforts to establish and enforce a “no swim” zone at Bean Point.
Public works department personnel installed the new “Swim At Your Own Risk” signs along the Bean Point shoreline on Sept. 25 and the following day installed similar signs at four beach access entry points along North Shore Drive.
“Swim At Your Own Risk Signs” were placed at four beach access entry points along North Shore Drive. – City o Anna Maria | Submitted
The new signs were ordered after Mayor Mark Short, on Sept. 15, vetoed an emergency ordinance adopted by city commissioners on Sept. 11. The short-lived emergency ordinance formalized the previously enacted Bean Point “no swim” zone that extended eastward from the Fern Street beach access to the beach access between 831 and 833 North Shore Drive.
The emergency ordinance allowed some Bean Point property owners to continue swimming near their beachfront properties.
The ordinance included the following enforcement language requested by commissioners in response to input provided by potentially impacted Bean Point beachfront property owners: “Owners, and their guests, of homes that are not vacation rentals with riparian rights in this specific area are exempt from these penalties.”
The day after he vetoed the emergency ordinance, Short sent The Sun an email that said, “I vetoed Emergency Ordinance 25-951, which was passed by the commission last Thursday regarding no swimming at the Bean Point area of the beach. The ordinance, as approved by the commission, provided for inconsistent enforcement and would be impractical to enforce by the MCSO (Manatee County Sheriff’s Office) and city code enforcement personnel.”
During their Sept. 25 meeting, all five city commissioners expressed their unanimous support for the mayor’s decision and they declined the opportunity to vote on overriding his veto.
When explaining his decision, Short said, “The challenge with that ordinance was that it was basically impossible to enforce.”
Short said he hopes the new signs make it very clear that there are risks associated with swimming at Bean Point.
“If they choose to swim there that’s fine, but they can’t say they weren’t warned,” Short said.
Short noted the new signs would be installed at four beach access entrances along North Shore Drive and along those corresponding portions of the Bean Point shoreline.
Mayor Mark Short showed city commissioners one of the new signs. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Short held up one of the new signs for the commissioners to see and said, “If you walk up there from the beach, you’re going to see these signs from any direction.”
Commissioner Chris Arendt said placing new “Swim At Your Own Risk” signs at the head of the beach access paths in addition to placing them on the beach was the right approach to take.
People of all ages enjoy wading and swimming at Bean Point. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Commissioner Gary McMullen said the mayor’s decision allows Bean Point homeowners (and others) to continue swimming at Bean Point while also making them aware of the risks.
“They can swim there, but they take all responsibility,” McMullen said.
A “Swim At Your Own Risk” sign was placed near this dune walkover. – City of Anna Maria | Submitted
During public comment, My Beach Concierge owner Peery Heldreth said his company and some of the other beach cabana rental companies already warn visitors about the risks of swimming at Bean Point and try to steer them to safer nearby locations.
After discussing the establishment of a ‘no swim’ zone city commissions at two city commission meetings in August – after multiple swimmers were rescued from the Bean Point waters – Short enacted the ‘no swim’ zone on Sept. 2 in response to a fatal drowning there on Aug. 31.
ANNA MARIA – On Sept. 15, Mayor Mark Short vetoed the Bean Point ‘no swim’ zone emergency ordinance unanimously adopted by city commissioners on Sept. 11 that would have allowed property owners with riparian rights to swim there.
The city’s efforts to enact a Bean Point ‘no swim’ zone have now been suspended.
In an email sent to The Sun on Sept. 16, Short wrote, “I vetoed Emergency Ordinance 25-951, which was passed by the commission last Thursday regarding no swimming at the Bean Point area of the beach. The ordinance, as approved by the commission, provided for inconsistent enforcement and would be impractical to enforce by the MCSO (Manatee County Sheriff’s Office) and city code enforcement personnel. City commission was informed of this decision yesterday.”
When speaking to the Sun on Sept. 17, Short said the recently installed metal signs that say, “No Swimming, Dangerous Currents” will be replaced this week by new signs that say “Warning. Dangerous Currents. Swim at your own risk. No lifeguards.”
With no ordinance in place at the time, Short implemented the ‘no swim’ zone on Sept. 2 in response to a drowning on Aug. 31 and other recent Bean Point water rescues that included a 45-year-old man dying the day after he and his 15-year-old son were rescued from rip currents. The temporary signs installed on Sept. 2 have since been replaced by metal signs that say, “No Swimming, Dangerous Currents.”
On Sept. 11, commissioners adopted the now-vetoed emergency ordinance that formalized a temporary Bean Point ‘no swim’ zone, while still allowing a limited number of beachfront homeowners and their guests to continue swimming there.
To be replaced later by a permanent, and perhaps different, ordinance, the now-vetoed 60-day emergency ordinance said, “It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in swimming, floating, rafting, paddleboarding, kayaking or other similar water-based recreational activities in the waters of the Bean Point area defined as: ‘The shoreline and waters beginning at the Fern Avenue (Street) beach access, extending northward around Bean Point and eastward to the beach access between 831 and 833 North Shore Drive.’ Fishing and wading in water up to knee depth shall be permitted but discouraged.”
The proposed Bean Point ‘no swim’ zone extends from the Fern Street beach access to the 831 North Shore Drive beach access. – Google Maps | Submitted
Public input given by Bean Point homeowners and others convinced commissioners to revise the proposed ordinance to allow Bean Point beachfront homeowners and their guests to continue enjoying the Bean Point waters now off limits to other Anna Maria residents and visitors.
The emergency ordinance allowed the owners of Bean Point beachfront homes with riparian rights to continue swimming in the ‘no swim’ zone. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
At the commission’s request, City Attorney Becky Vose added language to the emergency ordinance’s penalty provisions that granted approximately 14 Bean Point homeowners an exemption not shared by vacation rental guests: “Owners, and their guests, of homes that are not vacation rentals with riparian rights in this specific area are exempt from these penalties.”
Regarding enforcement, the emergency ordinance said, “Violation of this ordinance shall be punishable as a noncriminal municipal infraction, subject to fines as provided through resolution of the city commission.”
A city resolution was not adopted to establish fines being levied while the emergency ordinance was to remain in effect.
Short said while the 60-day emergency ordinance was in effect, he would work with Manatee County officials to develop a permanent solution that addresses the city’s public safety concerns.
The emergency ordinance still allowed knee-deep wading and fishing. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Commissioner Chris Arendt said he was OK with people wading in knee-deep water, including children accompanied by an adult. He and the other commissioners agree the city must do something to protect visitors who aren’t aware of the dangers posed by rip currents at Bean Point.
Public input
Before the homeowners’ exemption was added to the now-vetoed emergency ordinance, longtime Bean Point homeowner Wendy Blumenthal said, “So what are the consequences for me if I go behind my house and float in 3 feet of water?”
“The ordinance, at this point, calls for a warning. It does not call for a fine,” Short answered.
Bean Point homeowner Wendy Blumenthal objected to beachfront homeowners not being allowed to swim in the waters near their homes. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Sgt. Brett Getman leads the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Anna Maria Unit. When asked about enforcing the emergency ordinance, he said, “Compliance and education is our goal.”
Continuing, Blumenthal said, “I feel horrible about what’s happened in recent weeks with the visitors, and I know we need to do something, but I think having a knee-jerk reaction may be too quick. What about those of us who do know the waters, have never had an incident, know when the tide’s going out? Why do we not get to use the water behind our home? It’s not just visitors that use the beach.”
When she suggested using buoys to create a designated swimming zone, Short said county officials already mentioned that option.
Bradenton resident Sydney Buckley and her husband, Richard, own and operate the Anna Maria-based Tangerine Group construction and real estate services company. She agrees the city needs to protect visitors but said homeowners’ rights must also be considered. She said the swimming prohibition might negatively impact a homeowner’s ability to sell their Bean Point home and might also impact vacation rental guests if any of the temporarily exempted homes are used as vacation rentals.
“If I were to spend $10,000 on a house on the beach just to find out after I arrive that we can’t go dive in like we were expecting to, I’d be pretty furious,” Buckley said.
Longtime Bean Point homeowner John Dicks lives along the stretch of North Shore Drive referenced in the emergency ordinance. He applauded the city’s efforts to protect visitors and save lives but said the homeowners’ riparian rights and property rights must also be protected. He cautioned the commission against taking action that could expose the city to Bert Harris claims filed by homeowners seeking compensation for the loss of their long-held property rights.
“It’s diminishing the value of those properties. That’s the classic example of a Bert Harris case. We don’t want to get into that,” he said.
Bean Point homeowner John Dicks mentioned potential Bert Harris claims. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Dicks suggested using large, colored flags to warn people about the currents and water conditions. As an alternative, he suggested the swimming exemption later added to the emergency ordinance. Dicks said he wasn’t sure, but he didn’t think any of the exempted Bean Point homes are vacation rental homes.
“I’m planning on swimming tomorrow,” he said, noting he doesn’t want to break the law when doing so.
Arendt asked Getman how hard it would be to enforce a ‘no swim’ zone that only allows certain residents and guests to swim there.
“It’s just going to invite people to swim that see other people swimming,” Getman answered.
On Aug. 9, Getman entered the water to help rescue the teenaged boy caught in the rip current with his father. During a recent commission meeting, Getman said the Bean Point water rescues put deputies at risk too.
On Sept. 11, he said, “Keep in mind, we’re not lifeguards.”
Regarding an exemption being given only to those beachfront property owners, Short said, “Does that open up a can of worms for people who live across the street?
“They don’t have riparian rights and I think that’s a valid distinction,” Vose replied.
Longtime resident and recently appointed Planning and Zoning Board member Don Buswell-Charkow said he’s walked that stretch of beach almost every day since 1991.
Don Buswell-Charkow asked the commissioners not to over-regulate their public safety concerns. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
After acknowledging the tragic nature of the recent events, Buswell-Charkow said, “In the United States, we go out of our way to protect people from doing incredibly stupid things. I’m not saying all the people that swim there are stupid, but to say, ‘No, you can’t do that,’ when people who know what they’re doing and are cautious and careful are going to be deprived of something they have done for years seems a bit overstepping, excessively regulating everything. There should be a big sign that says this is a dangerous area. There are very strong currents here. If you swim in this area you could drown.”
ANNA MARIA – A body has been recovered that is believed to be the swimmer who went missing Sunday evening while swimming off Bean Point in Anna Maria.
A press release issued by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at 12:35 p.m. Monday says, “A body has been recovered from the water just west of Anna Maria Island. The deceased is believed to be the missing swimmer. Deputies are in the process of positively identifying the man and notifying family members.”
Earlier in the day, the sheriff’s office issued a press release that said, “At approximately 7 p.m. on Aug. 31, witnesses reported seeing an adult male about 100 yards from the beach in the Gulf. He had been swimming with another man, who was rescued and brought to shore by people nearby. An extensive search was initiated by MCSO deputies and involved several boats, jet skis, paddleboards and aerial support from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Coast Guard. So far, there have been no signs of the missing swimmer. The search continues today.”
Monday morning, U.S. Coast Guard Southeast posted a Facebook message that said, “U.S. Coast Guard Station Cortez, Air Station Clearwater and partner agency crews are searching for 20-year-old Abhigyan Patel, last seen swimming off Bean Point Beach, Sunday, at 6:52 p.m. in an olive green shirt. It was reported the swimmer was with a friend and was caught in a riptide. If you have any information call: 866-881-1392 #SAR.”
Bean Point swimming concerns
Due to the strong rip currents and recent water rescues and near drownings that have occurred at Bean Point, the Anna Maria mayor and city commission have already expressed their support for enacting and enforcing a ‘no swim’ zone at Bean Point once the logistical and enforcement details are researched and finalized.
Multiple water rescues have occurred off Bean Point in recent weeks. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
ANNA MARIA – No final decisions have been made, but the mayor and commissioners are considering allowing beach cabana rentals in some public beach areas and not allowing them in others.
Current city code adopted many years ago doesn’t allow any commercial activity in the city’s coastal conservation and recreation open space zones that comprise most of the public beach areas in Anna Maria.
City code also doesn’t allow multi-legged cabanas and tents in the coastal conservation zones, regardless of who owns them and sets them up.
The mayor and commissioners first discussed commercial beach activities, including cabana rentals, on July 24 and they continued those discussions on Aug. 14.
Reiterating statements made at the previous meeting, Mayor Mark Short said, “Commercial activity is not listed as a permissible activity on any of our beaches. In fact, our land use ordinance even goes as far as to say you can’t even have more than one-pole tents on the coastal conservation part of our beach.”
Highlighted in green on the city’s zoning map, the coastal conservation zones include the lengthy beach shoreline that extends from the southwest end of Magnolia Avenue near the Sandbar restaurant and around Bean Point to Jacaranda Road. The coastal conservation zones also include the Gulf shoreline that extends south from Oak Avenue to the city limits at Beach Avenue; and the narrow, residential Tampa Bay shoreline along South Bay Drive from Magnolia Avenue to the northeastern tip of the city near the Galati marina.
The areas highlighted in green are coastal conservation zones. The areas highlight in blue are recreation open space zones. – City of Anna Maria | Submitted
Highlighted in blue, the largest beachfront recreation open space zone extends along the Tampa Bay shoreline between Hibiscus Street to the northeast end of Magnolia Avenue and includes the Bayfront Park and City Pier shorelines. A smaller beachfront recreation open space zone extends along the Gulf shoreline from Magnolia Avenue to Oak Avenue.
Short said the first question the commission needed to answer was whether they wanted to leave the current ordinance as it is and begin enforcing the existing prohibitions and restrictions that are not currently being enforced, and haven’t been in the past.
“If the commission chooses to leave the ordinance as it is, we will immediately begin enforcing it,” Short said.
The commissioners reached preliminary consensus that they don’t want the enforcement of the existing prohibitions and restrictions to begin until they decide if and how they’re going to change the existing city regulations.
The commissioners also reached preliminary consensus that they do want to change the regulation that only allows single-pole shade structures (umbrellas), but not cabanas and tents, in coastal conservation zones.
Single pole umbrellas are currently the only shade structures allowed in Anna Maria’s coastal conservation zones. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Based on the comments made during the Aug. 14 meeting, the commission appears to be leaning toward allowing cabana rentals in the recreation open space zones, but not in the coastal conservation zones that include a significant portion of the city-controlled beaches.
Commissioner Kathy Morgan-Johnson said, “I think we should allow the cabanas,” but she didn’t specify which zone or zones she was referring to.
Johnson said she doesn’t have strong feelings either way about logos and other advertising being placed on rented cabanas, if allowed.
Commissioner Gary McMullen doesn’t support cabana rentals in the coastal conservation zones and he doesn’t support company logos or advertising being placed on the cabanas that would have to be reserved in advance before being placed in the recreation open space zones, if that’s what the commission decides to do.
Commissioner John Lynch supports allowing cabana rentals in the recreation open space zones. He’s currently opposed to allowing cabana rentals in the coastal conservation zones but he feels more discussion is needed.
Commissioner Chris Arendt supports cabana rentals being allowed in some form or fashion but he hasn’t arrived at a final conclusion and he feels more discussion is needed.
Commission Chair Charlie Salem is still evaluating the options and he wants more input from residents and vendors before making any final decisions.
Short said the commission also needs to decide if it wants to allow any additional commercial activities on the public beaches.
“We can decide what commercial activities we would like to allow. Cabana rentals? Yoga instruction? There may be others? We need to be very specific in terms of what we will allow in terms of commercial activity,” he said.
Other Island cities
Holmes Beach Development Services Director Chad Minor and Code Compliance Chief James Thomas attended the Anna Maria meeting and Minor briefly addressed the commission.
Development Services Director Chad Minor discussed Holmes Beach’s cabana advertising prohibition. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Regarding Holmes Beach’s sign regulations that prohibit advertising on the beach (including cabanas and tents), Minor said, “At this time, we’re approaching it from the commercial advertising aspect. We’ve got most of the vendors to comply. The other concern we had was the placement of tents before they were actually rented. Someone could walk by, scan the QR code and then rent the tent. If they’ve got a pre-arranged reservation, that’s how we’re approaching it.
“We will be diving into this in more detail. One of our other concerns is it’s tents today, what could it be tomorrow? SUP boards (stand-up paddleboards), kayaks? I get more Jet-Ski rental requests a week than I’ve ever had. There’s a lot of businesses that want to be out here, and rightfully so. We just have to learn how to balance that,” Minor said.
Short said he received a copy of a cabana rental-related draft ordinance the city of Bradenton Beach is working on, but he didn’t know if it had been presented to Bradenton Beach commissioners yet. Short said the draft ordinance proposes limiting each cabana or tent to 10 square feet with no more than two enclosed sides. The draft ordinance currently proposes prohibiting commercial signage or branding, imposing a limit of 20 cabanas per licensed vendor, imposing a restriction on how many cabanas can be set up side by side and imposing a restriction on the number of chairs placed under the cabanas.
The Bradenton Beach commissioners are expected to discuss the draft ordinance during their Thursday, Sept. 11 commission workshop.
Public input
Longtime North Shore Drive resident John Dicks said, “The world’s not going to end if we don’t allow rental cabanas on our beaches. Look deep and hard as you consider changing our ordinances.”
My Beach Concierge owner Peery Heldreth asked the commission to allow cabana rentals in coastal conservation zones. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
My Beach Concierge owners Peery and Becky Heldreth attended the July 24 and Aug. 14 meetings.
During the recent meeting, Peery asked the commission to allow cabana rentals in the coastal conservation zones.
“We’re talking about a tremendous amount of area here in the city of Anna Maria,” he said.
He also said some cabana rental clients are physically unable to transport and set up their own cabanas, including senior clients and those with disabilities.
Former commissioner Brian Seymour addressed the potential impacts on other businesses. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Anna Maria General Store owner and former city commissioner Brian Seymour said enforcing a ban on all commercial beach activities except cabana rentals could have unintended impacts on other businesses, including beach weddings and restaurants and food delivery services that deliver to beachgoers.
“There’s a lot more to this than just beach cabanas,” Seymour said, and he suggested the commission host a public workshop before making any final decisions.
Short said beach weddings are regulated by city-issued special event permits but Salem acknowledged other industries could be impacted by the commission’s future decisions.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do on this,” Salem said.
ANNA MARIA – In response to rip current-related water rescues in the waters off Bean Point on Aug. 9 and Aug. 12, Mayor Mark Short proposed creating a no swim zone at the northern tip of Anna Maria Island during the Aug. 14 city commission meeting.
Earlier in the meeting, Short praised Sgt. Brett Getman and Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) deputies Vince Bowman, Matt Daugherty and Nate Boggs for their roles in rescuing four swimmers who found themselves caught in the rip currents while swimming at Bean Point.
The mayor proposed a no swim zone starting at Fern Street and extending north. – Google Maps | Submitted
On Aug. 9, Getman entered the water, threw a life ring to a 15-year-old boy who got caught in the rip current and helped pull him ashore while Bowman stood on shore relaying information to the dispatcher according to MCSO protocol while the Manatee County Beach Patrol and the MCSO Marine Unit rescued the boy’s 45-year-old father, who appeared to suffer cardiac arrest after being placed on a rescue board. The father was transferred by boat to the nearby Galati Yacht Sales marina and EMS then transported him to a local hospital where he died the following day, according to Getman.
Later that afternoon, a 73-year-old man drowned near the Sandbar restaurant, south of Bean Point, but his death is not believed to be rip current-related.
On Aug. 12, Daugherty entered the water off Bean Point and helped rescue another father and son in a similar manner while Boggs relayed critical information to dispatch.
“I just wanted to commend them for their acts of heroism,” Short said, with Getman and Lt. John Wren in attendance.
Short said Getman, Bowman, Daugherty and Boggs are being nominated to receive MCSO Life Saving Awards for their rescue efforts.
‘No Swim’ zone
When proposing the Bean Point no swim zone, Short said local residents know it’s not safe to swim at Bean Point but visitors don’t.
“It’s a great place to walk. It’s a great place to enjoy the view. You just don’t go swimming there because of the currents. Unfortunately, our visitors don’t know that,” Short said, noting all four swimmers recently rescued at Bean Point were visitors.
These folks were swimming in the shallow Bean Point waters the day the no swim zone was proposed. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“We constantly have these types of issues come up and it’s always someone who’s here visiting who just doesn’t know any better,” Short said.
“I’d like the commission to entertain the idea of putting up a no swim zone up at Bean Point so we make it perfectly clear to visitors that this is not an area you want to swim in,” he said.
This sign at the Bean Point beach access addresses rip currents and escape techniques. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Even though every designated beach access point has a sign that cautions beachgoers about rip currents, Short thinks the city should take it a step further and create a no swim zone that begins at Fern Street and extends around the northern tip of Bean Point.
“It’s clearly a safety issue,” he said when requesting future commission discussion at the commission’s next meeting on Thursday, Aug. 28.
None of the commissioners commented on Short’s proposal, but Sgt. Getman addressed the risks he and his deputies face during Bean Point water rescues.
“It’s also dangerous for us to go in the water and get these people out. Please keep that in mind,” Getman told the commission.
ANNA MARIA – Two men died in separate water-related incidents off Anna Maria on Aug. 9, according to Sgt. Brett Getman, leader of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Anna Maria Unit.
When contacted by The Sun on Aug. 11, Getman shared what details he could as authorized reports had not yet been released.
Rescued man dies next day
“The rip current was so bad on Saturday, with the winds out of the east and the incoming tide,” Getman said. “We were on routine patrol, got flagged down and were told there were two people treading water off Bean Point. I radioed for the (MCSO) Marine Unit, the Coast Guard and Beach Patrol to respond.”
According to Getman, at approximately 10:35 a.m., a 45-year-old father and his 15-year-old son were throwing a football around in the water off Bean Point. The ball got away from the son and he went after it but couldn’t reach it. The son got caught in the rip current and swept around the corner of the point. The son was eventually able to get within about 25 yards of the shoreline and Getman entered the water, swam out to him, threw him a life ring and pulled him ashore, but the father remained too far out to reach from the shore.
As two MCSO Marine Unit boats responded to the scene, members of the Manatee County Beach Patrol paddled out to the father and placed him on a rescue board. Getman said the father appeared to suffer some type of cardiac event after being placed on the rescue board. He was transferred into one of the Marine Unit boats, administered CPR, taken to Galati’s Marina and transported by EMS personnel to the hospital, where he died the following day.
Getman said the father and son were Florida residents and were visiting from elsewhere in the state, but as of Monday afternoon he couldn’t provide names or additional details.
Man drowns off Anna Maria
According to Getman, a man drowned later that day near the Sandbar restaurant in Anna Maria at approximately 4:30 p.m.
“That was a 73-year-old male. He was in the water about 20 yards out. He began having trouble with his footing and went underwater. Bystanders were able to locate him, pull him out and start CPR, but he didn’t make it,” Getman said.
Getman said the waves were high in that area on Saturday afternoon as the weather began to worsen, but generally the currents there aren’t as strong as they are at Bean Point.
ANNA MARIA – While discussing beach cabana rentals and other commercial activities occurring on public beaches, Mayor Mark Short said city code prohibits all commercial activity in beach areas that carry the city’s coastal conservation or recreation open space zoning designations.
During the July 24 Anna Maria City Commission meeting, commissioners, cabana rental company owners and employees and the public were also informed that multi-legged cabanas and tents of any kind, commercial or personal, are not allowed in coastal conservation-zoned areas.
According to the color-coded zoning map included in the meeting packet, the coastal conservation zones highlighted in green include the entire public shoreline from Magnolia Avenue to the northern tip of Bean Point. The recreation open space zones highlighted in blue include the Bayfront Park and City Pier shorelines.
The areas highlighted in green are zoned coastal conservation and the areas highlighted in blue are zoned recreation open space. – City of Anna Maria | Submitted
“We have an ordinance on the books that addresses what is permitted in the blue and green areas. The ordinance does not provide for the conduct of any commercial activity in either the coastal conservation zone area or the recreational zone area,” Short said.
Mayor Mark Short doesn’t want Anna Maria’s beaches to resemble the commercial-heavy Palma Sola causeway along Manatee Avenue. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Participating by phone, City Attorney Becky Vose said the city controls the public beaches and state and federal laws don’t restrict a city’s ability to regulate commercial activities. In regard to privately-owned beaches not regulated by the city, Vose said the upland property owner owns the land up to the mean high-water line and rented or personally-owned tents and cabanas can be set up on privately-owned beachfront property.
Vose said her law firm represents six beach communities throughout the state and each one regulates commercial beach activities differently. She said the city of Cocoa Beach allows a limited number of beach vendors to enter into 7-year agreements with the city and if they don’t comply with the city’s insurance, operational and cleaning requirements, those agreements are nullified and offered to another vendor.
Regarding city-regulated beaches, Vose said the city has a great deal of flexibility and can pretty much do what it wants.
“Right now, you do not permit any commercial activity,” she said. “The city has not been enforcing those requirements, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t start. You need to decide how you want to handle these and give direction to staff. We can either draft new ordinances or we can enforce what we have. There is no compulsion under state law or city code to allow any commercial uses on the beach.”
Commissioner Charlie Salem asked Vose to explain any restrictions that apply specifically to the coastal conservation-zoned areas. Vose said the only shelter-like item allowed in a coastal conservation zone is a single-pole umbrella or something similar. She said multi-legged tents and cabanas are not allowed in coastal conservation zones but that’s something the commission could change.
Current city code prohibits tents and cabanas in beach areas with coastal conservation zoning designations. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Regarding commercial activity, Vose said any changes desired by the mayor and commission need to be clearly written to continue prohibiting any unwanted commercial activity such as food vendors and other types of rentals.
“You can regulate all of those things and you can prohibit them also,” Vose said.
Participating by phone, Commissioner John Lynch said, “We have a multi-layer problem that we’re trying to solve. We’re not current enforcing the current code, so I think there’s a bunch of work we need to do.”
When opening the discussion for public input, Salem said, “Think of this as your opportunity to help us start thinking about the issues involved on any side of this issue.”
In response to a question from city resident Wendy Smith about boat-based vendors, Short said the city’s jurisdiction only extends 10 feet into the water, with the exception of the vessel exclusion zone offshore of Bayfront Park where motorized vessels are prohibited.
My Beach Concierge owner Peery Heldreth addressed the mayor and commissioners. – Joe Hendr
Addressing a concern previously raised in Holmes Beach, My Beach Concierge owner Peery Heldreth said none of the cabana vendors in the commission chambers that day are setting up cabanas that aren’t reserved in advance. Heldreth said his company has a state license, pays monthly sales taxes, carries liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance. Peery said his company doesn’t set up cabanas on Bean Point. He said his cabanas are commercial grade and he pays his employees $20 an hour, plus tips. He requires his employees to pick up any trash they see on the beach and they’re instructed to stay clear of sea turtle nests. Heldreth asked the mayor and commission to allow the current cabana rental activities to continue while the commission works through these issues.
Anna Maria resident David Ridley said cabanas and tents help protect people from getting skin cancer.
Commissioner Gary McMullen said the city is not enforcing the ordinances on the books and the city hasn’t prevented anyone from putting up a cabana or a tent, but the commission now needs to decide if the existing regulations will be enforced or changed. Short said the commissioners must first decide at a future meeting if they want to keep the current regulations.
The Palma Sola causeway in west Bradenton is a popular place for beach vendors. – Joe Hendricks | SunSeveral vendors offer Personal watercraft rentals at the Palma Sola Causeway in west Bradenton. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“I do want to be clear about one thing. This is not about just the cabanas. This is about commercial activity in general on the beaches,” Short said. “I don’t want our beaches to turn into the Manatee Avenue causeway. I don’t want horses on the beach. I don’t even want dogs on the beach.”
Dogs are not allowed on Anna Maria Island beaches.
ANNA MARIA – The city will soon have a “No Holes on Beach” ordinance in effect that prohibits using metal shovels and other gardening tools to dig holes in the beach sand.
On June 12, Anna Maria commissioners unanimously approved the first reading of Ordinance 25-945, a city ordinance that will support the hole digging regulations already contained in Manatee County Ordinance 23-121.
The city ordinance was drafted in response to a previous request made by Manatee County Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker. Hunsicker recently asked the three Island cities to adopt city ordinances that would regulate beach hole digging activities on city-owned and city-managed beaches not regulated by the county. The county-owned beaches include Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach, Coquina Beach, Cortez Beach and Leffis Key in Bradenton Beach and Beer Can Island (Greer Island) in Longboat Key. The county also manages and maintains the city-owned Bayfront Park in Anna Maria. When requesting the city ordinances, Hunsicker said large, unfilled beach holes present injury risks to beachgoers and first responders and endanger sea turtles and other wildlife.
Using language similar to the county ordinance, the Anna Maria ordinance says, “No person shall possess on or about any beach a metal shovel or comparable gardening tool of the type customarily sold in a hardware store (not a children’s toy) unless part of a construction project permitted under the Florida Building Code or similar law.”
The proposed ordinance drafted by City Attorney Becky Vose originally stated no hole shall be dug deeper than 2 feet below the surrounding grade. Commissioner Charlie Salem suggested changing the hole depth restriction to 1 foot to be consistent with the county ordinance and the similar Holmes Beach ordinance adopted earlier that week.
The revised Anna Maria ordinance now says, “No person shall dig a hole in the beach deeper than 1 foot below the surrounding grade unless part of a construction project permitted under the Florida Building Code or similar law.”
The city of Bradenton Beach has a 2008 ordinance in place that addresses in general terms the use of tools to excavate on a beach and Bradenton Beach commissioners are not revising that ordinance.
The Anna Maria ordinance authorizes code enforcement officers and law enforcement officers to enforce the hole digging prohibitions and violators will be subjected to a fine to be established by a separate city resolution.
“Each incident or separate occurrence of an act that violates this section shall be deemed a separate offense,” according to the ordinance.
Public input
Anna Maria resident and Planning and Zoning Board member Jeff Rodencal has lived on the Bean Point beachfront for almost 25 years and he’s seen many large holes dug in the sand during that time. He supports the city ordinance but noted as originally written it might restrict city personnel’s ability to fill an abandoned hole.
“You need equipment to fill the holes back in. I’ve seen holes 7-8 feet wide, 2 or 3 feet deep,” he said. “This ordinance seems to prevent that from happening.”
Beachfront property owner Jeff Rodencal’s insights helped improve the proposed city ordinance. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
General Manager Dean Jones said the public works department usually uses a skid steer loader to fill in large beach holes and he suggested adding language to the ordinance that allows city personnel to do what’s necessary to return the sand to its natural state.
Participating by phone, Vose agreed with those suggestions.
Rodencal also said many beach areas used by the public are actually private property and those property owners shouldn’t be prohibited from planting trees and other landscaping on their beachfront property.
“A lot of the beach technically isn’t public and this document is aimed at public beaches,” Rodencal said. “The beach is really private land. It is my property. I would be hopeful that the city would also respect the homeowner’s rights to be able to garden in their backyard.”
He also mentioned the recent Build Back the Beach volunteer replanting project along the Bean Point shoreline, which Salem noted was a city-permitted endeavor.
In response to Rodencal and Jones’ comments, Vose added to the following language to the ordinance: “It shall not be considered to be a violation of this section for a homeowner, when planting plants in the private beach behind the homeowner’s home, to use a metal shovel or gardening tool so long as any hole that is dug is appropriately filled by the later of eight hours after the digging of the hole or sunset, whichever is earlier. It shall also not be considered a violation for a governmental representative to use any appropriate means to return sand to a hole to restore the beach to its natural state.”
City resident and North Shore Café co-owner Colleen Geller asked if the ordinance would prohibit kids from using plastic shovels and pails to dig small holes in the sand.
“It does not prohibit beach toys,” Mayor Mark Short said. “Sand in a bucket is not considered a garden tool, but if we see people walking out there with garden shovels and stuff they’re going to be stopped; and if we see them on the beach, the intent of this ordinance is to remove them from the beach, irrespective of whether or not there’s a hole there. This will hopefully prevent that from happening.”
“The folks that are going to be enforcing this know the difference between kids digging a hole and making a sandcastle and somebody digging and leaving a hole that’s a danger to other people and wildlife,” Salem added.
“I have seen actual bunkers out there. I’m confident the new ordinance would help curtail a lot of that,” Jones said.
Short said the city will update its beach access signs to include the shovel and gardening tool prohibitions and public awareness and education will be part of the ongoing enforcement efforts.
The city ordinance will be presented for second reading and final adoption on June 26.
Holmes Beach ordinance finalized
The city of Holmes Beach has a new ordinance in effect that prohibits using metal shovels to dig holes in the sand at city-owned and city-regulated beaches.
Unanimously adopted by Holmes Beach city commissioners on second and final reading on June 10, Ordinance 25-09 says, “No person shall possess on or about the sandy Gulf beach a metal shovel of the type customarily sold in a hardware store (not a children’s toy) unless part of a construction project permitted under the Florida Building Code or similar law.”
The city ordinance also says, “No person shall dig a hole in the sandy Gulf beach deeper than 1 foot below surrounding grade unless part of a construction project permitted under the Florida Building Code or similar law.” The commission adopted the city ordinance at the request of Manatee County Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker, who sought to expand the hole digging prohibitions already in effect on county-owned and county-regulated beaches.
ANNA MARIA – Homeowners Cindy and Tryn Stimart are leading the Build Back the Beach community impact project that plans to replace the native beachfront plants and grasses destroyed by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The Stimarts live in Lakewood Ranch and own a second home on North Shore Drive in Anna Maria. Their home is located about a block away from the Sycamore Avenue end of the project area and their home and property will not directly benefit from the Build Back the Beach project.
The Anna Maria home, purchased last year, serves as a weekend getaway and vacation home for the Stimart family that Cindy said visits at least once a month. The family spent the Thanksgiving weekend in Anna Maria and went fishing at Bean Point on Friday night. While visiting, the family often enjoys family walks on Bean Point. The Stimarts envision living in their Anna Maria home fulltime when they get closer to retirement and the six children in their blended family head off to college and into adulthood.
Their Anna Maria home is also operated as a short-term vacation rental managed by Sato Real Estate.
THE PROJECT
On Nov. 14, Cindy presented the Build Back the Beach project to the Anna Maria City Commission seeking the commission’s support, which was given, with no financial assistance requested.
The project area extends from Sycamore Avenue to the northern tip of Bean Point. – Google Maps | Submitted
At that time, the proposed project area began at the southwest end of Pine Avenue and extended north around Bean Point. At the suggestion of county officials, the project area was reduced by a couple of blocks and will now start near the Sycamore Avenue beach access instead. The 100,000-square-foot planting area was selected because the properties along that coastline are privately owned and that shoreline area will not be restored by the county or the state.
Stimart presented the commissioners with printed copies of her six-page presentation and she noted their children are the third generation of their family members to frequent the Island.
Stimart said the coastal sand dunes and vegetation along the Gulf of Mexico shoreline protected their property from damage greater than the 3 feet of floodwater surge they experienced on the ground level of their elevated home. In addition to protecting beachfront homes and properties, the shoreline dunes and vegetation provide wildlife nesting areas and habitats and help enhance the tourism industry that supports Anna Maria’s business community.
The Bean Point beach area looked like this before the hurricanes hit. – Cindy Stimart | SubmittedThe vegetation along the Bean Point shoreline was decimated by back-to-back hurricanes. – Cindy Stimart | Submitted
Stimart said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and FDEP’s Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection already approved the project to be conducted similar to a county-initiated beach planting project.
It will cost approximately $26,000 to purchase the native sea oats, panic grass, railroad vine, dune sunflowers and planting materials, and the Stimart family will match 50% of the fundraising total. As of Dec. 8, almost half the needed funds had already been raised, according to Stimart. To donate, visit the “Help Heal & Renourish The North End Coastline of Anna Maria” GoFundMe page or the Good Guardians Collective website.
The plants will be purchased from Aquatic Plants of Florida. The seedlings to be purchased were grown in a greenhouse using seeds previously harvested from the Anna Maria Island shoreline.
Oyster River Ecology Executive Director Damon Moore has volunteered to oversee the planting sessions and the preparatory work scheduled for Friday, Jan. 24.
“I am eternally grateful to him for lending his expertise, leadership and generosity to this project,” Stimart stated in her written presentation.
“He used to live on the Island and he’s so happy to see civilians stepping up to restore the coastline,” she later told The Sun.
The goal is to recruit enough volunteers to have 75 volunteers per shift participating in each of the three planting sessions scheduled on Saturday, Jan. 25 from 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. and on Sunday, Jan. 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. If necessitated by weather conditions, the planting sessions will be delayed a week. As of Dec. 8, 120 volunteers had already been recruited.
The Center of Anna Maria Island will assist with volunteer recruitment. To volunteer, visit the Good Guardians Collective website or call 631-599-0989. You can also call The Center at 941-778-1908.
The Build Back the Beach plantings are scheduled to take place in January. – Submitted
Another project goal is to educate the community about the importance of healthy coastlines and the critical role they have in protection, habitats and the local economy. The Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring organization will assist with the educational efforts.
Planting volunteers will be encouraged to visit Anna Maria restaurants and businesses before or after their planting sessions.
Stimart said every potentially impacted beachfront property owner will receive a letter signed by her that provides them with the opportunity to opt out of project-related plantings taking place at their property.
Sato Real Estate will help promote the project and will reach out to the vacation rental property owners they represent in the project area.
“We live in Lakewood Ranch but we can’t get out to the Island fast enough when Friday hits and the kids are done with school,” Stimart said when explaining her motivation for this project. “This project is so important to me. I’ve lived in Florida a long time and these hurricanes are probably the worst I’ve ever seen. This completely shook me. We went for a walk on the beach and saw all the sea urchins that washed up and that broke our hearts.”
PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS
The impact project partners include the Stimart Family, the Good Guardians Collective, The Center of Anna Maria Island and Executive Director Chris Culhane, and Moore, the founder of the Oyster River Ecology organization.
Impact project supporters include the city of Anna Maria, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella, the Anna Maria Island Historical Society and board member Barbara Murphy, Sato Real Estate and company representative Danielle Sato, North Shore Café owners Scott and Colleen Geller, the Anna Maria Island Garden Club and local residents and property owners.
ANNA MARIA – The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three mariners from a 70-foot commercial fishing vessel that took on water and ran aground Friday evening in rough seas two miles west of Anna Maria Island.
The fishermen are “OK,” according to boat owner Joe Versaggi, of Tampa-based Versaggi Shrimp Corp. But pieces of the Warrior, along with some fuel, continued to wash up on Anna Maria Island’s beaches this afternoon, floating south past Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach and reaching Longboat Key.
While the Coast Guard reported earlier today that the hull of the vessel appeared intact, some of the 7,000 gallons of diesel fuel was reported leaking.
“The United States Coast Guard informed me this evening that after their last flyover, the vessel’s fuel tank appears to still be secure. It is their opinion that the fuel we have on our beach is possibly from remnants from the vessel’s bilge,” Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said. A salvage boat is expected to reach the site on Sunday morning between 8-10 a.m. to remove the hull, engine and fuel tanks, he said.
Cortez commercial fisherman Mike Fannon cleaned up some boat debris washing into the Rod and Reel Pier in Anna Maria this morning, after seeing the Warrior in the Gulf of Mexico off Anna Maria Island on Friday and noting that “it was too close to the reef,” Capt. Kathe Fannon said. Debris was washing up on Beer Can Island (Greer Island) at the north end of Longboat Key around 2 p.m. today, she added.
Fuel and oil from the accident could impact bird populations on the Island, including terns and laughing gulls, said Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Director Suzi Fox.
It’s too early for shorebirds to begin nesting, and sea turtle nesting season is over until May 1, but some local sea turtles could be affected, as could the seagrass they feed in, she said.
According to the Coast Guard press release, “A Coast Guard Station Cortez 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew arrived at 7:50 p.m. to the 70-foot commercial fishing vessel Warrior, took the three crew members off the vessel and transferred them to a dock in Cortez with no medical concerns.”
This section of the commercial fishing vessel Warrior washed ashore on the sand in Holmes Beach. – Sarah Parsons | Submitted
According to the press release, “Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg received a call on VHF-Channel 16 from the Warrior operator reporting they had 2 feet of water on board and pumps were unable to keep up with the flooding. A MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Clearwater also responded. The Coast Guard will continue to monitor the vessel for possible pollution.”
The vessel examination sticker is affixed to a window of the fishing vessel debris that washed ashore in Holmes Beach. – Sarah Parsons | Submitted
The Coast Guard press release includes a few seconds of video footage that shows the Coast Guard vessel approaching the Warrior in distress.
This shipwreck debris was spotted offshore of Bean Point Saturday morning. – Kristin Swain | Sun
Debris field and cleanup efforts
The abandoned Warrior later broke apart and much of the ship’s debris washed ashore along the northern tip of Anna Maria Island at Bean Point.
This morning, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy and Public Works Manager Dean Jones investigated the debris field and initiated the city’s cleanup response.
Anna Maria Public Works Manager Dean Jones and Mayor Dan Murphy toured the debris field Saturday morning. – Kristin Swain | Sun
“It’s a shrimp boat out of Tampa, owned by the Versaggi Shrimp Corporation out of Tampa,” Murphy said, adding the shrimp company’s insurer will be asked to pay for the cleanup efforts.
The debris field includes wooden planks, green plastic bags and more. – Kristin Swain | Sun
“They’re going to have to pay for it. I’ve informed the Coast Guard and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). We started taking the debris out. We got a hold of the county and the county’s bringing in reinforcements to help us pull up the debris. I couldn’t allow that debris to sit there. There’s about a mile-and-a-half to 2 miles of debris on the beach. There’s timbers, rusty nails and bolts and more. It’s a public safety hazard,” Murphy said.
“The beach isn’t closed, but we’d like people to stay away because it’s dangerous with all the debris and diesel fuel. The diesel fuel spill starts at Bean Point and ends at Cypress. The debris field starts at Bean Point and goes all the way down to the entrance to the city at White Avenue,” Murphy said.
Murphy said the Coast Guard and DEP are monitoring the fuel spill.
“FDEP is on board for the fuel spill and they’re supposed to get back to me with their advice. We’ve got two big containers that we’re putting at the end of Magnolia Avenue to collect the debris we’re picking up on the beach,” Murphy said.
When contacted at approximately 1 p.m. this afternoon, Joe Versaggi confirmed the Warrior was part of the Versaggi Shrimp Corporation’s Tampa-based fishing fleet.
“It was our boat. We’re trying to get a dive crew and a salvage crew out there now,” Versaggi said.
This large piece of shipwreck debris washed ashore at Bean Point. – Kristin Swain | Sun
When asked about the Warrior’s crew, Versaggi said, “They’re all OK.”
Versaggi said he spoke to Murphy about the cleanup efforts.
“I told him to call the insurance adjuster,” Versaggi said.
When contacted a few minutes later, Murphy said, “I talked to their insurance adjuster and they’re going to compensate us for all our work. That is not a problem. I am saving the debris for Mr. Versaggi because he wants to inspect it.”
When contacted earlier this morning, Jones commented on the debris field and the pending cleanup efforts.
“It’s bad. It basically broke apart from what we can tell. There’s fuel up on Bean Point. You can smell diesel fuel. There’s all these green bags out there on the beach. There’s wood everywhere with nails in it. There’s baskets, cartons and other debris. We called everyone from Public Works to be here as quickly as possible.”
This is some of the debris that washed ashore at Bean Point. – Charlie Trygg | Submitted
