Flagler Turtle Patrol volunteers are suddenly logging a lot more steps on the sand after a thief swiped the group’s camouflage ATV from a shed behind the Marineland facility on North Ocean Shore Boulevard (A1A). The off-road workhorse was their main way to haul gear and check long stretches of nests, and losing it has already stretched crews thin during those busy early-morning beach checks in the middle of nesting season.
Deputies seek leads after shed break-in
As reported by WKMG ClickOrlando, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said someone broke into the shed "Wednesday afternoon" and took the camouflage-colored ATV. Sheriff Rick Staly told ClickOrlando, “These volunteers give their time to protect our sea turtles and our coast, and someone repaid them by breaking in and stealing the very equipment they rely on.” The sheriff’s post includes a photo of the ATV parked in the sand before it vanished.
How to report tips
The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information to call 386-313-4911 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS, per FOX 35 Orlando. Officials say even small tips could help deputies track down the ATV faster and get volunteers back to focusing on nests instead of trudging the beach in search of stolen wheels.
Officials share additional contact details
ClickOrlando notes the sheriff’s office also provided an email ([email protected]) and asked tipsters to reference Case No. 26-60191 when submitting information through the department’s app or website. Those details are part of the agency’s active investigation into the beachside theft.
Why timing matters for hatchlings
Local turtle groups mark Flagler County’s nesting season as running from May 1 through Oct. 31, a stretch when volunteers are busiest on the sand, according to the Volusia Turtle Patrol. State conservation guidance notes that intensive monitoring during nesting and hatching is critical to protect eggs, cut down on hatchling disorientation from lights and reduce predation, per the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
ATVs keep patrols nimble
Local reporting shows Turtle Patrol volunteers often rely on an ATV or county vehicles to reach nests quickly, and the group has at times borrowed county equipment when its own vehicle was out of service, per FlaglerLive. Without their ATV, volunteers are facing longer walks across hot sand to reach marked nests, haul equipment and conduct excavations and hatch counts after hatchlings emerge.
What happens next
The sheriff’s office asked that anyone who spots the camouflage ATV or has information about the break-in call or submit a tip through official channels so volunteers can get the vehicle back and resume full beach coverage, as described by FOX 35 Orlando. The investigation is ongoing, and in the meantime volunteers are keeping up their rounds on foot while deputies follow up on leads.
