NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard found a dock floating in the Gulf of Mexico that had apparently drifted about 500 miles across the open water.
An HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft spotted the detached dock about 180 miles south of Grand Isle on August 2 after receiving a report of the small floating building drifting on the open water.
The dock appears to be supported by blue 55 gallon drums and features a small shed in the center and a railing wrapped around three sides.
A mural of a mermaid lounging on a sandy beach near marsh grass adorns one side of the shed.
After putting out an open call to the public for information on the dock’s origin, Coast Guard officials determined the dock had detached from its home behind the Parrot Key Hotel in Key West, Florida.
