NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – Crews arrived to New Smyrna Beach as soon as the sun came up on Thursday to remove a 13,000 pound buoy that washed ashore last week.
"It's so big and so far up on the shore it almost looks like it dropped out of the sky," Sharon Doolittle said.
#Update @USCG Aids to Navigation Team Ponce De Leon Inlet monitored the removal of the red lighted buoy this morning at New Smyrna Beach, FL. The buoy will be transported to Jacksonville, FL. pic.twitter.com/ic0BrRxRiK
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) January 2, 2020
Doolittle just got to Central Florida from South Dakota a few days ago and was able to take pictures with the buoy up close.
She and dozens of other beach goers woke up early on Thursday to see the buoy's removal.
"There's been a crowd here every day since it washed up on the shore," Doolittle explained.
Judy Head was visiting from Niagara Falls and told News 6 she has never seen anything like it.
"We don't see those kind of things. It's pretty amazing," Head said.
Crews were able to place the buoy on a flatbed and it will be transported to Jacksonville according to USCG.
HAPPENING NOW: A Red Buoy that washed ashore in New Smyrna Beach a few days ago is getting moved from the sand. Crews got here early to remove it. @news6wkmg pic.twitter.com/YuhCHeSBQT
— Ezzy Castro (@EzzyCastro) January 2, 2020
A large buoy is removed off New Smyrna Beach.