BREVARD COUNTY, Florida — Has red tide swooped around the tip of Florida and reached Brevard County?
- Officials test water off Brevard beaches for possible red tide
- Beachgoers say air has been irritating their throats
- Indian River County officials cautioning beachside residents
- RELATED: Full coverage of red tide crisis in Florida
Testing took place Tuesday in the ocean along the Space Coast as some experienced issues for themselves.
The air was irritating some beachgoers' throats, causing them to cough. They decided to pack it in and leave the beach.
At the same time, county officials were sampling the ocean water, trying to confirm whether red tide was to blame.
"There was something in the air, and I started coughing," said Kate Williams of Vero Beach, who took her usual morning walk in the area. "My eyes started getting sore."
Williams said being on the Indian River County beach became unbearable, not just because of the hundreds of dead fish, but also because of the air itself.
"You could see the actual redness in the water," she said.
Williams decided to drive north to Brevard County, but the stop at Ponce De Leon Park on State Road A1A was similar.
"I got out of the car and started to feel the scratchiness, and started coughing again," she says.
Brevard County and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have received numerous, similar reports from beachside residents over the past few days.
Sky 13 flew along the south beaches Tuesday and spotted several patches of what could be the algae bloom floating off the coast. Plus, our crews spotted scattered dead fish on the sand.
The county natural resources department sent a crew to test the ocean for the potential.
They tested six locations up the Space Coast -- three in Melbourne Beach, one in Indialantic, another in Satellite Beach, and one farther up in Cocoa Beach.
"We worked with FWC to establish these locations," said Terry Williamson of Brevard County Natural Resources. "We want to get a firsthand analysis."
The sample is being sent to the FWC lab for testing. Brevard County is expecting lab results back as early as Wednesday.
Indian River County is urging residents to be cautious over the next week and a half. In the meantime, people there with respiratory issues are asked to stay away from the beaches for now.