ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A large navigational buoy broke free from its mooring near the Florida Georgia Line.
Now, a few weeks later, it's getting closer to the St. Johns Flagler County line.
Some are worried it could be a safety hazard.
This buoy usually marks the entrance to the St. Mary’s Inlet which separates Georgia and Florida.
Floating along by itself, it's hard to determine its size. However, the U.S. Coast Guard says this buoy is 26 feet tall, 11-feet wide, and weighs 11,000 to 13,000 pounds.
According to the Coast Guard, which has jurisdiction over these buoys, this one broke free on March 3rd.
It's more than 70 miles off Southern St. Johns County, not far from Marineland.
Jane West with the St. Augustine Port and Waterway District, says the buoy could fool boaters into thinking they are in deeper waters when they are not.
"If you have this big buoy that indicates for vessels that this is safe water and its not, if it’s actually in front of or on top of a shoal, that could cause significant problems for boaters. It could be very dangerous," West said.
The buoy may also be dragging a long chain along the bottom of the ocean floor, causing some environmental damage.
The Coast Guard says it will not know if the chain is still attached until the buoy is lifted from the water.
"The buoy needs to be retrieved. We can’t wait for it to beach itself," West said.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s office investigated it with their boat, but a larger boat is needed for the removal.
West and others says the Coast Guard needs to get the buoy.
The Coast Guard told First Coast News the large boat necessary to get the device is in dry dock.
Radio warnings are being broadcast to boaters in the area.