Jumping sturgeon

Two Sanderson residents were injured in a sturgeon strike Friday evening on the Santa Fe River.

Colleen F. Harvey, DOB 3/19/73, and her husband, Charles B. Harvey, DOB 12/6/73, were both transported to Shands in Gainesville after being hit by a sturgeon on the Santa Fe River.

They were traveling eastbound from the Suwannee River toward Ellie Ray Campground when they were struck by the sturgeon, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officials.

“With the low water levels in the river system, the sturgeon are jumping much more frequently than in recent years,” said Maj. Andy Krause, FWC regional commander in Lake City. “We want everyone boating on the Suwannee and Santa Fe Rivers to be aware that the sturgeon are jumping and that people have been injured.”

The FWC suggests that everyone wear their life jackets, stay off the bow of the boat and go slow while underway. Any sturgeon strikes should be reported to the FWC by calling 888-404-3922.

The FWC is investigating the incident.